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Brand Positioning: Do You Need To Carve Out a Uniqueness For ‘Every’ Product or Service?

by | Articles, Cartoons, Video | 18 comments

brand positioning

It’s easy to say that every individual product or service needs a uniqueness of its own, but what if it doesn’t? How does it affect sales? How does it affect conversions?

Let’s take an example and move steadily ahead. Let’s examine The Brain Audit, for instance.

Did The Brain Audit, that’s been sold on the Psychotactics site since the year 2002, always have a uniqueness?
No it didn’t. When we started, we had no uniqueness at all. Quickly, of course, we got over 800 testimonials, and that became the uniqueness. Now admittedly, once you have 800 testimonials (which have now swelled to well over 1500, I’d expect) that’s good enough, isn’t it? Yes it is, provided the book didn’t change in any way.


Does every darned product and service need a uniqueness factor? Why on earth should that be the case?

But The Brain Audit went from Version 1.0 to 2.0—and then to Version 3.2
And this is where the problem lies. If a customer has bought Version 1.0, why bother buying Version 2.0? Or for that matter Version 3.2.? And what if we were to bring out Version 4.0? This is where uniqueness comes waltzing right through the door.  Many, if not most of our clients have bought several versions of The Brain Audit. And the reason is simple: They can see why version differs from the next. And this difference is simply a factor of uniqueness.

When you define the uniqueness, you automatically get clients interested. And not just existing clients, but new ones as well.

Because it’s more than likely that the new ones have never seen The Brain Audit before
So for them the uniqueness is pitched against other books of a similar nature. Why should they spend their hard-earned money on this product vs. something else? Again uniqueness rears its um, unique head, huh?

And that’s not all…
Let’s say we did put out a version of The Brain Audit on Amazon.com. And that price, is just $39. And the product on the Psychotactics website is $119. Why would a client even bother buying it on our site if they can get it on Amazon at a third of the price? Here again we have the uniqueness come into play. If a client gets a ton more on our website vs. what’s available on Amazon (which is just the book and nothing but the book), then there’s a point of difference.

And now the difference in prices aren’t as crazy as they may seem. Of course your heart beats a little faster when paying a bit more, but you know—and know for sure—that the product you’re getting from Psychotactics is far greater in value than the Amazon product.

And just to prove that this works we actually gave away The Brain Audit…
Over 8000 people have downloaded a copy of The Brain Alchemy Masterclass absolutely free. And this Masterclass contains an early copy of The Brain Audit, both in text and audio. So what do people say on listening to the audio and text? I’ll tell you what they say. They write in and say: “I’ve loved The Brain Alchemy Masterclass, and I’m coming back to buy The Brain Audit and membership to 5000bc. So even when a product is given away free, people know there’s a difference—and a big difference—between one version and another. Between just an offering at Amazon.com and the one on the Psychotactics website. They know, because they’ve been told.

And that—that is the power of uniqueness.

When a thick, luscious layer of uniqueness is applied, price and reluctance retreat quickly
But you can’t just depend on the client to figure all of this out. So you have to clearly define the uniqueness. You have to be able to tell the difference between an iPhone 4 and an iPhone 4s. The Brain Audit Version 2.0 and The Brain Audit Version 3.2. The Amazon offering and the website offering. Because in reality, every product or every offering needs to really stand out from the “hoi-polloi” even if the “hoi-polloi” is just a different version of your very own product or service.

This takes time and effort
But mostly a deep understanding of the power of uniqueness. And how to master uniqueness, so you never have to fight the stupid “let’s lower our prices” battle. The more you learn, the more you can understand this deep and interesting facet of marketing. And the more clients will choose you over every one else.

And that is gratification by itself, isn’t it? 
So what’s stopping you from creating uniqueness for every product or service? Do you have examples or questions on this topic? Ask away, because hey, I do answer (and sometimes even make a video just to answer the question).

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

18 Comments

  1. Neil Smith

    And the more you study this uniqueness matter, the deeper it becomes.

    Reply
    • Sean D'Souza

      Yup, one inch wide, one mile deep 🙂

      Reply
  2. jomar

    What uniqueness-extracting exercises can you recommend to us marketers for our clients?
    Can you describe at least three?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sean D'Souza

      Have you watched the first three videos?

      Reply
      • Kukzee

        I couldnt get rid of my smile on this comment.
        You definitely get the theory to actions Sean!

        Ps.Just bought your ebook on bullets. Awesome.

        Pps. Will the uniqueness workshop be available in home study version too?

        Reply
          • Kukzee

            Yey. Thanks a lot. Will look forward to it.

  3. Shy Buster!

    Hi Sean,
    Love your authenticity and niche!!
    Annette
    The Shybuster!

    Reply
  4. Todd Smith

    You write, “When you define the uniqueness, you automatically get clients interested. And not just existing clients, but new ones as well. Because it’s more than likely that the new ones have never seen The Brain Audit before. So for them the uniqueness is pitched against other books of a similar nature. Why should they spend their hard-earned money on this product vs. something else? ”

    How do you make a uniqueness that simultaneously works for comparisons with other products and with your own previous products? It has to be really, really unique doesn’t it? Enough that it stands out against any backdrop.

    P.S. Can you please add a plugin for this blog to automatically receive notifications of new comments? Thanks

    Reply
  5. Sean D'Souza

    How do you make a uniqueness that simultaneously works for comparisons with other products and with your own previous products? It has to be really, really unique doesn’t it? Enough that it stands out against any backdrop.

    You can’t. That goes against the fundamental of “ONE” itself. You’re always battling against one on one. So if The Brain Audit is being looked at by people who are comparing with some other marketing book, then you can only really compare it with other marketing books. The uniqueness still has to drive home ONE point.

    However, you can drive home the other points as well. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before, but you can make ONE point the star and the rest of the points the supporting cast. But one point has to be driven home in all its glory. If you start trying to drive home many points, you are more likely to fail.

    Reply
    • Sean D'Souza

      What this means, is that when I’m selling The Brain Audit Version 4.0, I’m going to be comparing it against 3.2. And I’ll be doing that with an audience that has “seen” and “read” Version 3.2.

      For an audience that hasn’t seen 3.2, it doesn’t matter. Their comparison is always going to be against some other product.

      Battling against Amazon is always going to be tricky, but if the product is available both on Amazon and our site, it’s likely that we’re not really fighting an equal battle. In that scenario, I’d want the client to get both the Amazon version AND our version.

      And yes, it can be done by packaging and adding stuff. So that when the person reads the Amazon book, they are directed not to the regular The Brain Audit sales page, but to a special page that takes them to another level.

      Reply
  6. Todd Smith

    Thanks for adding the followup comments plugin. That helps a lot.

    And your explanation, that it is still always just ONE, cements it in my mind. Your example of Brain Audit 4.0 comparing to 3.2 makes sense. We identify one feature that makes 4.0 a must have over 3.2. And it will most probably still look amazing to someone who hasn’t bought the Brain Audit before.

    The power of uniqueness was brought home to me last week. We’re looking at finding a new home to rent. One place offered a free membership to the athletic club as part of the rent. I almost was willing to overlook the poor state of repair on this house in order to get the membership. It made this house really unique. It also shows the power of a bonus. If the bonus is also the uniqueness, that’s doubly good!

    Reply
  7. Jeff

    Thank you for taking time to explain uniqueness in your site. If I live in the US, I would love to attend your workshop.
    But I live in Asia.

    Anyway, thanks for this very valuable piece of information. True uniqueness is the best way to compete and stand out from the business competition.

    Reply
  8. amos

    Hi Sean,
    thank you very much for all your emails and insights in particular “Uniqueness”.
    It happens that i have been doing quite a lot of what you have been mentioning-even with reference to the second level uniqueness without really grasping how it affects my business . Thanks for making me understand how imporatnt this is for my business

    My biggest mistake is and has been, i not getting the word out and not creating product uniquiness.
    thanks for openning my eyes

    Reply

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