Ep 39: How To Stand Out When You’re All Selling The Same Thing

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Podcast Show Notes

Are there hundreds if not thousands of other people who sell the same thing as you? How do you begin to stand out?

This could be the case if you are part of a direct sales business and sell oils, skincare, lotions, or supplements…

Maybe you have your own online shop filled with mugs, shirts, and journals – some custom and some drop-shipped – but overall the sayings you sell on your merchandise resemble other retailers.

Or maybe you’re a creative and you design custom birthday signs, watercolor paintings or pencils drawings.

You are all selling the same thing

Either literally or figuratively – you are all selling the same thing.

Have you ever really thought about that?

If Sally wanted a bar of XYZ brand soap – why will she buy it from YOU and not the other 100k distributors who also sell it?

I think this is one reason that people get discouraged when they hear that a lot of people are doing one thing… selling wine, selling skincare, selling oils, etc.

They think that if one more person they know reps for the same company and sells the same thing that they won’t be able to stand out and get enough sales to make it worth it.

What shop are you?

I’ve recently heard it explained that it’s like everyone who sells the same thing are all in a big mall. You all own your own store but everything inside is the SAME. You have the same products to offer the mall shopper as the store next door.

You’re all selling the same thing. Some shops:

• put up big, fancy signs to try to draw the shopper to their store.
• quietly wait out front, hoping the shopper will come in on their own.
• share samples outside on a little tray to offer a try-before-ya buy option.
• spend most of their time on the shop’s computer, inviting people to take the virtual tour.

But again you are all selling the same thing so how do you stand out and grab the attention of the shopper to spend money in YOUR STORE?

That seems like a crazy idea

Initially, this can sound a bit daunting. 

If everyone’s selling the same thing, why even step into the arena? One more store in the mall? Another shop with the same goods?

That seems like a crazy idea. Wouldn’t you rather go sell something NO ONE else is selling and get in the “ground floor” as some companies promote?

But if you really think about it, selling the same thing creates a LOT of power and opportunity for every shop owner.

Because at the end of the day, when you all have the same things on your shelves, all that matters is YOUR UNIQUE STORY.

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You don’t need to sell the product, service, or opportunity – they usually sell themselves. What you need to in reality is sell yourself, your image, and your reputation.

You sell your personal brand every time you show up online.

Your why, your story, your own individual experience.

position yourself as an expert

In order for YOU to position yourself as an expert in your field and become the shop that people want to spend money with you must tell your authentic brand story over and over again.

This includes being transparent with your WHY, sharing what encouraged you to get started, your struggles, and the solutions you’ve found. 

There is only one me. 

And there is only one you. 

We’ve each grown up in different ways, have lived different lives, and experienced different things. And all of those layers and layers of pivots, life cycles, and experiences led us to this very spot – but the stories along the way are all so varied.

It creates your brand influence and the way you can tell your story. It will go on to define the way in which you emotionally connect with your audience. 

And you guys, THAT’S where your power is. That’s your secret sauce. It’s so simple it almost sounds silly, but to truly step into your story and share it – THAT is where the magic is and the way to stand out.

writing your brand story

A brand story describes the sequence of events that sparked your business’s origin and proves how that tale still drives your purpose today.

If everyone is selling the same thing, the only way to be successful and set yourself apart is to be fiercely YOU.

Lead with your voice and your story.

You must understand that by being exactly who you are is the exact thing you need to bring more shoppers into YOUR store.

By doing so you will attract people who connect with your beliefs, who want to buy your solution to their problems with your products, who want to enroll with you and be a part of your team. 

Use your favorite book as example

Think of it, just like your favorite books and movies’ characters. If you can develop a compelling brand story, your audience will remember who you are, develop empathy for you, and, ultimately, care about you and gain trust with you.

You want to very intentionally craft your brand story in a way that reinforces confidence in your industry expertise.

Download the FREE Workbook

While my FULL Stay in Your Lane Brand Method is broken down into four steps and four products…

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I wanted to give starters like yourself a little glimpse into the full method by offering you a complimentary Stay in Your Lane Brand Map Workbook for Starters.

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Inside my Stay in Your Lane Brand Map Workbook for Starters, I will teach you my FIVE BRAND SECRETS, which built a strong foundation for my brand and allowed me to scale my business with international growth within only a couple of years.

And included in the complimentary Stay in Your Lane Brand Map Workbook for Starters is HOW TO WRITE YOUR BRAND STORY.

Which like we discussed entails being transparent with your WHY, what encouraged you to get started, your struggles and the solutions found.

I believe the key to securing a lasting business is using your personal experiences to connect with others.

So today if you’re stuck on how to stand out when you’re all selling the same thing I encourage you to think of ways to start sharing more pieces of YOUR story. And grab that free brand map workbook as a starting point!

New Membership Community Launched

To learn more about all four steps including my new Social Note membership that covers step four in the method: Expand Your Influence. Head to stayinyourlanebrand.com. 

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The Social Note is an online membership community for the business owner who wants to discover her voice, share her story, and develop her brand in a humble, confident, and impactful way.

Along with my co-founder Jenny Taylor we are bringing Storytelling + Creative + Community together as no one has ever done before.

For over 20 combined years we’ve shown up in the online space as our authentic selves to build our respective businesses. We realize that building a business in this digital age can seem complicated. But we believe that when you put your story out into the world you attract the right people to your brand. The one thing that you have that nobody else has is your story.

When you dig into your brand you’ll find your voice is ready to be heard. Your story is ready to be told. You just need to give yourself permission to share it.

Learn more about The Social Note Community and my Stay in Your Lane Brand Method at stayinyourlanebrand.com 

The Social Note Community is for women (from all countries) who are fed up with the sales tactics being reinforced throughout the online industry today. Whether you are just getting started or been in business for years, this community is for women who are ready to use their unique gifting, story, and passions to grow their business. This community welcomes women from all industries: creatives, service-based, network marketing, bloggers, influencers, affiliate marketers, and others.

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Other episodes you may enjoy is “EP 37: TWO WAYS TO LEVERAGE YOUR INFLUENCE“

or

“EP 34: HOW TO CREATE MORE INCOME STREAMS IN YOUR BUSINESS“

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