So many products that are being sold these days, are in reality quite the same as other products or services. So really how do you differentiate yourself, especially when you do not have an office and would often be expected to have better prices then your retail competitors who have additional costs.
The best way is to be add additional value to your product, or service. While not every value added option that you offer needs to actually be purely part of the original product cost, the additional perceived value should give the customer an expectation they are receiving more then they are paying for. The part that you are really focusing on is the perception that you are creating rather then what the actual offer is. You could offer almost any added extra and with the right pricing and wording make it appear to be better.
Some of the things that you can offer as add-ons, which will help to create this extra perceived value could be
- Trade-in – It may end up just being a token gesture, eg trade-in your old widget when buying a new and get $50 off the new one. It does have the potential to cut into your profit a little, however it may be the one thing that gets the sale. Then depending on the product you may be able to recondition it and sell it as second hand or sell it for parts to the right business. There are options.
- Offer more options – Maybe your product has a range of colours available or some options that are not offered by the major retailers. Offering the full range of colours or options makes you seem more flexible and people may buy from you just because of the additional options whether they actually buy the standard model or not.
- Watch for supplier promotions – While retailers often get the best promotion offerings, they do not always take advantage of them, and often suppliers will have offers where bonus products are included or such with the main product. If you pay attention to what is offered by the supplier you can take advantage of these offers and make the offering you have look more attractive.
- Free Delivery – While it is an additional cost, would you prefer to purchase something by having to make the effort to visit a store, have a sales person put the pressure on, and then hope they have the one with the colour you want and the options. Or place an order and have it deliver a day or two later. I know which i would prefer.
That is just four options, but there are always other options, often it just requires a little thinking outside the box, and being daring to offer something that not everyone is willing to offer.