Most people aren’t quite sure.
I mean, uniqueness seems like a ‘nice-to-have’ factor. But is it critical?

Let’s take a simple example
Let’s say you’re in the market for an iPhone and price is no object (yes we’re assuming, so play along). And let’s say you have the choice between the iPhone 3 and the iPhone 4. Which one do you want? But let’s ramp it up a bit. Let’s say you have the choice between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4s? Now, which one do you want?

The choice isn’t much of a choice isn’t it?
Technically there’s not a lot to choose between an iPhone and an iPhone 4s. And yet there is. iPhone 4s has one thing—a uniqueness factor—that stands out like crazy. That uniqueness is a feature called ‘Siri’. For all practical reasons it makes no sense to upgrade/or buy a new phone, let alone an iPhone 4s. And yet that one factor pushes you precariously towards the edge.

But Siri doesn’t matter unless you know why it’s unique
I dictate all my emails using Siri. I could post this blog post, yup, using Siri. I don’t have to laboriously search for anything by scrolling, swiping or doing stuff I used to do with my old iPhone. I just speak. And Siri does it for me. Siri can’t cook yet, but it can do a ton of stuff.

And that Siri is the uniqueness. That’s the reason the iPhone 4s is selling millions of units.

Once a customer knows and understands the uniqueness, there’s no stopping them. They desperately want your product or service. And if they don’t buy it right now, they will buy it later. If done right, a uniqueness factor can have customers clamouring to buy.

And that’s only half the reason to have a factor of uniqueness
The other half is just noise. You have your product or service, but right alongside you there are twenty squillion products or services that kinda look a bit like yours. The noise in the marketplace is deafening and unless you can clearly state your uniqueness, your customer is simply not convinced. They nod appreciatively when you explain your features and benefits, but they don’t buy.

But do they really avoid the purchase?
No, they do buy. They just don’t buy from YOU. They bypass you, because you’ve not clearly demonstrated your uniqueness. Yet, the moment they buy from you, they turn from customers to evangelists. Once they understand why your product or service is different, not only do they become rabid customers, but they spread the word as well. And that’s really the power of uniqueness.

You can pretend it doesn’t matter as much.
You can fool yourself into believing your product or service will sell itself.
And yet look around you. Look at the products you buy everyday. Why do you buy those specific brand of shoes? Why did you buy that book from Amazon.com? Why do you fill your gas at this gas station instead of another one? All of the answers point to uniqueness. Once you figure it out, you’ll wonder how you could live without it.

How have you seen uniqueness change things for a product or service? Or even a business? Do you have some examples you could share?

P.S. Introducing the Uniqueness Mastery Home Study
The Uniqueness Mastery Home Study is a precise system that enables you to get your product or service to stand out. And not just stand out in a garish, uncomfortable way, but in a manner where the customer knows exactly why they’re choosing you over the competition. It follows a system that that shows you how to get to your uniqueness.  Find out more Uniqueness Mastery Home Study