Announcing: The Secret Formula You Can Use To Position Yourself as “The Expert” and Knock Your Competitors Out Of The Game in 30 Seconds (without sounding like an arrogant bastard)
I’ve never made this strategy public before, but have taught it to private clients over the years.
This formula can be used on everything from cars to fur coats to plumbing to high-dollar consulting, even copywriting.
And it’s an easy way for you to create a USP and differentiation for yourself or a client. It forces your mind to think of the unique advantages that you alone bring to your clients.
So, here it goes, public…
Meet the “Exclusivity Funnel”.
The Secret Power Of The “Exclusivity Funnel”
Before revealing the Exclusivity Funnel, let me first cover two critical aspects of influence psychology that give this secret formula its power. Then I’ll give a broad overview of the Exclusivity Funnel and how it works.
Here we go…
Influence Fact One: All people go through an almost unconscious series of steps before making a purchase of any consequence.. We search for a solution to a problem, create a set of options for comparison, and narrow the options down to a single choice and then take action. We all do it. It can happen in seconds or take weeks. But we all move through that mental sequence when making a purchase decision.
The power of the Exclusivity Funnel is it uses the natural “narrowing down” phase to your advantage, as you’ll see in a moment.
Influence Fact Two: Consumers are skeptical. More than ever today. When a product or person makes bold claims of superiority over all others, you and I put up our mental guard. Our first instinct is to dis-believe. “Yea right”. “Prove it”. “You and everyone else”. Those are the thoughts that instinctively come to mind when we hear a product or person bragging.
The Exclusivity Funnel paces this instinct in your prospects. It admits the truth – there are other great providers of this product or service out there. And gives them what they want – a reason to choose you or your products.
The Exclusivity Funnel Formula
It works like this…
1.First you state the facts about the market in the most general terms.
2. Then you narrow the field down a bit using whatever criteria you select.
3. Then you narrow it down to only you or your product based on whatever your unique advantage or USP is.
Let’s use a local loan originator as an example. They sell a commodity product and there are lots of them – so they have trouble making themselves stand apart. Watch how easy it is to separate themselves from the pack, professionally, using the Exclusivity Funnel…
(Step one) “Right now, there are about 200 originators here in Sunnyville.”
(Step two) “Out of those, 7 really do a great job for their clients and I would be comfortable recommending them.”
(Step three) “But to my knowledge, I’m the only lender who spends a minimum of two-hours doing an in-depth analysis of your long range financial objectives, tax issues, investing strategies and more in order to give you a loan that fits like a glove with your goals for retirement.”
Remember, what you “funnel” down to can be anything that you feel is a real benefit to the client and a unique strength of yours.
Let’s say you are a copywriter your funnel may look like this…
“There are probably thousands of copywriters out there today. But, there are 3 who specialize in web copy that are really very good. But to my knowledge I’m the only one that has brought his clients over $10 Million in sales this year.”
Okay, so maybe you haven’t made your clients 10 Million this year – you can use any criteria you want to narrow the funnel – maybe your local “I’m the only web copywriter who is local so you can meet face to face with the person who will be projecting your online image to the world.” Or you offer a unique guarantee. “Or you specialize in a niche.” Or you have a unique process by which you craft your killer copy.
Let’s look at how an automobile company used it so you can see how versatile this formula is. The criteria you select for your Exclusivity Funnel is only limited by your imagination. As you’ll see in this car example – you can rig the criteria anyway you want.
As you read this example taken from a TV commercial, imagine hearing it in the voice of a pompous British guy (Set up: The scene opened with about 7 luxury brands all driving down the highway. As he talked through the funnel, the cars faded from the road).
If you take all the luxury cars off the road who don’t have side impact air bags… Then take away all those who don’t have ample trunk space… And finally, eliminate those fine automobiles that don’ have on-board navigation systems… There is only one luxury car left on the road… It’s the 1999 X14 RoadStar.
It should be clear to you that what the advertisers are doing is setting the funnel up in their favor. They “rig” it to highlight their unique differences. You should do the same thing.
All of us have something unique about how we do business. These are important reasons clients would truly want to do business with you – if they only knew that you offered a unique option.
But hiding your exclusive uniqueness or coming right out and bragging are not going to give you the upper hand on competitors. However, you can professionally, and smoothly, knock a competitor out of the game in about 30 seconds using the Exclusivity Funnel.
Copyright 2007 Robert Stover
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2 Responses to “Secret To Positioning Yourself as “The Expert” in 30-seconds”
March 27th, 2008 at 4:43 am
Really great, interesting, do-able advice on copywriting. I am not a copywriter–I am a doctor, but copywriting is a skill that I can use and need to improve.
I like the tone of Robert’s material. It all makes sense. I particularly like the Exclusivity Funnel and the Howler Monkey.
In particular I don’t want my copy to sound like Howler Monkey. I am a professional and I need to present myself as a professional. And now I have a better idea of what to do.
Thanks to Robert,
Dan Curtis, M.D.
May 17th, 2008 at 1:29 am
I just came across your site the other day. Some great copy advice, I know I appreciate it.
As a beginner, I have all kinds of questions and tons of info to absorb.
I do have a question about this post. I really like the Exclusivity Funnel idea, I know I’ve seen it before. My question is, where is the best spot to use this tactic for an online sales letter? I am guessing the beginning, to hook them and position yourself as the expert right away?
Thanks again, great blog!
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