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1.) "THE EDITOR'S CHOICE
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A "Warm" Welcome to All our New Subscribers.

We are proud to announce our "Editor's Choice":


Louise Roach of SnowPack  
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Please forward this e-zine to all your friends and co-workers who might be interested!

Until Next time,
 
Debbie Solomon
editor of The OnLine Exchange Ezine

 

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2.) HEADLINE ARTICLE
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Differentiation – Smart Marketing Strategies for the Solo Entrepreneur
By Terri Zwierzynski

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Are you ever frustrated or hesitant when you talk to 
prospective customers because you can’t readily explain 
why they should come to you rather than go to your competitors? 
Sure, you might have your 30-second elevator speech, 
but then they ask you that dreaded question, “So what makes you different?” 
Then, all those self-doubts creep in, and you just aren’t sure what to say. 
Differentiation can boost confidence--yours in yourself and that 
prospective customer’s confidence in you!

Dif-fer-en-ti-ate v. tr. To perceive or show the difference in or between; discriminate.

In business terms, to differentiate means to create a benefit that 
customers perceive as being of greater value to them than what 
they can get elsewhere. It's not enough for you to be different--
a potential customer has to take note of the difference and 
must feel that the difference somehow fits their need better. 
(Other words that mean virtually the same thing: 
Competitive Advantage; Unique Selling Proposition; or Value Proposition.)

As you are building your business, you can use differentiation 
to attract more customers. Once you have momentum, 
differentiation allows you to charge a higher price because 
you are delivering more value to your customers. 
Make a point to evaluate and adjust your 
differentiation methods at least annually.

The various methods of differentiating your businesses 
fall into four general categories:

-- Price Differentiation 

-- Focus Differentiation 

-- Product/Service Differentiation 

-- Customer Service Differentiation


Price Differentiation

Differentiating on price is probably the most common 
and easily understood method. HOWEVER, for Solo Entrepreneurs, 
caution is in order. On the one hand, potential customers might 
expect a lower price from you than from your larger competition 
because they perceive you as having less overhead, etc. 
On the other hand, cheaper prices can evoke perceptions 
of lower quality, a less-stable business, etc. And if you compete 
on price against competitors with deeper pockets, you can 
price yourself right into bankruptcy. Be creative with this 
differentiator by competing on something other than straight price. 
For example, you might offer:

-- More value--offer more products or services for the same price. 

-- Freebies --accessories, companion products, free upgrades, 
and coupons for future purchases.

-- Free shipping, etc.--convenience sells, especially when it is free! 

-- Discounts--includes offering regular sales, coupons, etc. (see cautions above) 


Focus Differentiation

For Solo Entrepreneurs, this is the most important method of differentiation, 
and in many ways, the easiest. Why? Because as a Solo Entrepreneur, 
you simply can't be everything to everybody, so you must pick a 
specific way to focus your business. Once you have done that, 
you have an automatic advantage over larger companies because 
you can become more of an expert in that one field --and you can build 
close relationships with key customers that will be hard to duplicate. 
For example, you might differentiate yourself through: 

-- Location--take advantage your closeness to prospective customers.

-- Customer specialization--be very specific about what characteristics 
your customers will have—for example, racing bicycle enthusiasts 
or companies with a spiritual conscience.

-- Customer relationships--know customers really well, 
form partnerships with them, and get them to speak for you!

-- Affinity relationships--associate your product/service with 
a well-known person or organization. 

-- One-stop shopping--offer everything your target market needs, 
in your area of expertise.

-- Wide selection (within your niche)—although this one may seem 
to be the opposite of focus--the key is to be very specific in 
one dimension and very broad in another.


Product/Service Offering Differentiation

How much you are able to differentiate your product or service 
offering will vary based on what type of business you are in. 
For instance, if you are in a highly regulated business, 
your options may be limited. Explore a totally new market 
or type of product or service, however, and the possibilities abound. 
The key to successful differentiation in this category, again, 
is to know your customers, really, really well. Talk to them often, 
and you will know what they need most and be able to offer it, 
long before your competitors know what is happening. 
For example, your product or service could stand out in one of these ways:

-- Quality--create a product or service that is exceptional 
in one or more ways. Examples: Lasts longer

-- Better

-- Easier to use

-- Safer

-- New/First--be the first one to offer something in your location/field.

-- Features/Options--offer lots of choices, unusual combinations, 
or solve a problem for a customer in a way no one else does.

-- Customization--as a Solo Entrepreneur, you may be able to 
more easily handle special orders than big, mass-market competitors.


Customer Service Differentiation

Have you noticed how customer service seems to be out of vogue these days? 
This situation makes excellent customer service a great opportunity 
for differentiation and another natural advantage for Solo Entrepreneurs 
that already know what’s important to their customers. Build your reputation 
on making customers feel really good about doing business with you. 
Works great with referral marketing, too. Examples:

-- Deliver Fast--next day, or one-hour--make it faster than customers think possible.

-- Unique channel--offer a service over the phone or Internet instead 
of in person or in their office rather than yours.

-- Service-delight customers!--it may seem expensive to offer 
exceptional service--but it pays off in word-of-mouth advertising.

-- Before/during/after-sales support--provide technical or 
other support to customers using your product. 
You might use joint ventures to provide that support--
but customers will perceive it as being from you! 

-- Guarantee/warranty--offer 100% money-back, or free replacement parts. 

-- YOU--offer yourself, your unique blend of talents and skills, 
to attract customers. Make sure they get access to you, too! 


Keys to Successful Differentiation:

-- Know your customers, really, really well.

-- Pick a blend of differentiation methods that,
in the eyes of your customers, truly sets you apart.

-- Talk about your differentiation in terms of customer benefits.

-- Tell everyone about what differentiates you--often.

-- Keep your differentiation fresh by listening for changing customer needs.

***********Find more articles like this at www.Solo-E.com  – 
Keeping Solo Entrepreneurs Juiced in Business and in Life. 
Our team of Solo Entrepreneurs are comprised of small business experts 
who support others in finding business success with the flexibility 
and freedom to have a life, too. Network with other freelancers, 
self-employed and Solo Entrepreneurs in our forums, enjoy our articles and newsletter, 
and find other online training opportunities.***********


Terri Zwierzynski is a coach to small business owners and Solo Entrepreneurs. 
She is also the CEI (Conductor of Extraordinary Ideas) at Solo-E.com 
and the author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small Business. 
Terri is an MBA honors graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill. 
Terri has been coaching for over 10 years in a variety of settings, 
including 6 years as a senior-level coach and consultant for 
a Fortune 500 company. She opened her private coaching practice in 2001. 
You can reach Terri at www.FastLaneDreams.com .

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4.) BIZ*TECH SAVVY SOLUTIONS
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"Spice Up Your (PC) Life".

====================

When you launch your browser, does it always go straight to MSN?
Or to Yahoo!? Or to some other site? Yawwwwnnn.

Would you like to make it open on a blank page instead? Or just
change the default entirely to a new page, like, your own page
that you built?

Here's how...

Open Internet Explorer.

On the Menu line,
Click Tools,
Internet Options.

You'll see the Internet Options dialog box displayed. The General
tab is pre-selected.

The first item is the Home Page section, and it says "You can
change which page to use for your Home Page." The address bar
will have a URL (address) listed. Three buttons help you make a
choice: Current, Default, and Blank.

The buttons in order now....

* The 'Current' button makes whatever page is in your browser at
the moment the new home page. It's the current page. Click to
"make it so."

* The 'Default' button will most likely make Microsoft's MSN
network the default page.

* The 'Blank' button will make a blank page your home page.
Just a blank page is all you'll see.

So, if you have a particular page you want to appear when you
start IE, just open the menu, set the page to Current, and you've
done it.

Hey, why not use The Newbie Club as your default home page?

Just click to http://newbieclub.com and when the home page loads,
just follow the above instructions and it's there every time you
load your browser! So any time you need help with your PC just
one click to load your browser and you can search the site!

What about Netscape users? Edit your preferences.

Click 'Edit' on the menu line, then

Click 'Preferences'.

You'll see the options right there.

"Many THANKS to the NEWBIECLUB.
I'd be Lost without 'em:
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5.) EZINE A*D*VERTISING DETAILS
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EZINE BUSINESS DIRECTORY
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The OnLine Exchange is brought to you by MarketingTrendz.  Please visit our directory of resources for helpful information for your online business.  

• PARTNERS-2-SUCCESS

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ONLINE EXCHANGE DIRECTORY & INFORMATION DATA
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PRIVACY POLICY-

ONLY subscribers who have personally and voluntarily subscribed to this Ezine will Receive it. We are 100% Opt-In. We will NEVER provide our subscriber list to ANYONE. We respect the privacy of our readers.

______________________


CONTACT INFORMATION-

Editor: Debbie Solomon
Publisher: Sara Hardy
http://www.marketingtrendz.com
MarketingTrendz
1640 West Sandpiper Circle
Pembroke Pines, FL 33026
support@marketingtrendz.com

_______________________


DISCLAIMER-

THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
The information contained in this document represents the current view of MarketingTrendz on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because MarketingTrendz must respond to change in market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of MarketingTrendz and MarketingTrendz cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. Information provided in this document is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.

All opinions and viewpoints in each editorial of The OnLine Exchange Ezine is expressed solely by the editor and writer, Debbie Solomon. The opinions set forth by the editor is not necessarily an interpretation of viewpoints made by the company.

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