In a crowded market place, it can be difficult to stand out. Some businesses do this with a unique way of delivering their service. It could be a patent, a process or a secret formula.
Legend has it that the formula for Coca Cola is locked away somewhere in a safe. When Kentucky Fried Chicken was first marketed, it was their 7 secret herbs and spices. Interestingly, when the Colonel was originally trying to promote his recipe, although he liked it, no-one else was too impressed, until some-one suggested he added one extra ingredient. It turned out that the Colonel had a condition where he could not taste salt, so he did not add any to his recipe. So it turns out that the last secret ingredient was salt.
There is a story of a famous chef in a five star French restaurant who never wrote down his recipes. Only he knew all the steps. While he had people assisting him in food preparation, each only knew some of the steps. His dishes were award winning, and no-one could copy them.
One day a well known society dame came into his kitchen after enjoying a certain dish, and started to cajole him into telling her the ingredients. After quite some time, she had extracted from him each of the ingredients, except one. She knew wine was added, but he refused to tell her how much. After much further badgering, he finally relented and told her. A mouthful.
Do you have something that you can add to your recipe that makes you unique? That adds flavour and becomes a point of difference that will intrigue and attract buyers who will then pay more for your services. When you have discovered your secret ingredient, who will you tell about it?
May Your Business Be – As You Plan It!