Why you?

That’s the question on the minds of everyone you seek to influence. How well you answer that question determines how successful you’ll become in your interior design career and business.

It’s never been more important for design professionals to differentiate themselves. Why? Because competition has never been keener. Google “interior designers in Cleveland,” for example, and 1.7 million listings come up in a nanosecond.

Fact is, it’s never been easier to get elsewhere the design services and products that you provide.So what makes you special?

Please don’t tell me you’re different because you’re passionate about design. Or that you “turn dreams into reality.” Or that you really care about your customers.

I’ve heard it all hundreds of times before. No, thousands.

I don’t want your platitudes. I want your word. I want your “only.”

Tell me you’re the area’s only professional with degrees in both interior design and architecture. Or the region’s only firm with 25 years experience designing the interiors of luxury residences. Or the owner of the state’s only showroom that carries a certain brand of motorized shades.

Tell me what only you can do, and I’ll work only with you.

No other word so effectively sets your design business apart. Your “only” is your ultimate differentiator. It’s your design fee and price justifier. It’s your credibility creator and “buzz” builder.

Your only is the word with which you can be heard above all the noise out there.

Every day, 294 billion emails go out. And 1 billion Facebook posts. And 250 million tweets. The average person is subjected to 1,250 sales messages a day. He/she ponders 60,000 thoughts a day.

You have 17 seconds to catch people’s attention, after which you could lose it — and them —forever. How do you get them to think about you? Here’s where your “only” phrase comes in.

Identifying your “only” is the challenge. Consider your:

• Accomplishments
• Awards and other honors
• Specialties
• Client base
• Innovations
• Sales performance
• Collective experience
• Growth
• Recognition in the media

Savvy design professionals pinpoint, and then promote their Only phrase that pays. Some examples:

• “_______ is Florida’s only interior designer specializing in residential and commercial design of spaces used by children.”
• “_______ is the only window fashion professional specializing in assisted-living facilities in Mexico City.”
• “_______ is the area’s only LEED-certified design and architecture company.”
• “_______ is the region’s only home stager with a degree in landscape architecture.”

Your “only” phrase won’t have much impact, of course, if you’re the only one who knows about it. That’s why you should include that phrase in all of your promotion — from your social media profiles to your marketing materials, from your email signature to your voicemail (“Welcome to ABC, the area’s only interior design firm that …”).

And you should include your “only” statement throughout your website, particularly on the home page. That will help you capture attention in a space where the attention span is brief. The average visit to a website today is only four seconds and two clicks, and 50 percent of your website visitors never get beyond the home page.

Think of your “only” as your million-dollar marketing and branding word, the word with which you can make an instant impact — and make yourself and your firm memorable. Promote your “only” as if your sales and profits and future depend upon it. Why? Because they do.

If differentiating your design firm in these highly competitive times is your problem, your “only” will help you solve it.

About the Author

Fred Berns speaks to, coaches and writes promotional copy for interior design professionals worldwide. For information about his services and products, visit InteriorDesignBusiness.net or contact him at Fred@FredBerns.com.

This article was provide by Multibriefs.