How We Choose…when all the options look the same

Today was municipal election day here in Strathmore. And as I was reviewing the "platforms" for the candidates, it became abundantly clear that EVERYONE was saying the same thing.

Or, they all sound the same, at least.

Campaign promises.

And marketing falls into that category a lot too. Especially in B2B tech. Or tech in general.

So, I thought I would take a moment to explore how we ACTUAL choose when everything sounds the same...and it's probably NOT getting you closer to a yes 😉

Oh, and since we're using politics as a kick-off point, I'm NOT going to be looking at price. Because, YES. When it comes to lack of differentiation in marketing, people WILL be looking at price. But since I'm not one to focus on a race to the bottom as a competitive advantage, and you probably don't want to be attracting the most price-sensitive people, we'll leave that conversation for another day.

We Choose...safety

Have you ever made a choice just because it seemed safe? I did today.

In our election, there were two people running for Mayor. I didn't resonate with either of them in particular. So, how did I choose? Based on the returning option, because he didn't do anything bad enough for me to think we needed something different.

And the other guy didn't do anything good enough for me to bother switching.

This is the "switching cost" people refer to so often in business. And it's the number one reason people stick with whatever bank their parents use.

Because there's nothing wrong ENOUGH with it to consider changing.

We're safe in the status quo.

And if we don't feel like th status quo is broken, then we won't rock the boat.

This is great for the incumbent, of course.

But if you're the new one in the market? And people don't see anything wrong? Well, looking the same isn't going to get you anywhere.

We Choose...a relationship

Earlier in this election cycle, I was considering running for council myself (I even printed door hangers, haha). So, I reached out to the current councillors (and mayor) to see if they would have coffee with me to help me understand the commitment and roles.

Of 6 councillors, 5 said yes.

That other one? Immediately off my "to vote for list".

Of the 5, I actually met with 2.

And since I had a chance to build a relationship with those people? They BOTH got my vote (we get to vote for up to 6 councillors).

The other 3? Neither here nor there. No points for; no points against.

Now, of course, if I had met with those two people and I got bad vibes from them, I wouldn't have voted for them (see the section on resonance below); but it never hurts for a relationship to be developed.

And marketing efforts? They CAN be used to develop relationships.

Most of them stop at lame "nurture" campaigns that don't actually develop anything. But with the right intention, you definitely CAN ;)

Oh, and let's not forget about making the FIRST effort! One of my votes also went to a lovely candidate who had a great conversation with me and Nicholas while door-knocking!

We Choose...ease

Don't you love it when someone makes your life easier?

Me too. Especially when, in a sea of campaign postcards, I get a jar opener instead.

Who doesn't need help opening a stuck jar from time to time?

And while this might seem more like a "merch" play than ease, I see it as someone considering what might add value to their constituents instead of just sending me a postcard that's all about you.

That person? They got my vote.

Most marketing? It falls into the "let me tell you about myself" category.

Which most humans are NOT innately interested in.

But what all humans are looking for?

HELP.

We all need help with something.

It's not the same thing for everyone. But when the help someone needs (opening a jar) aligns with the help I give (a jar opener), I just solved a problem for you. And it makes people believe you can KEEP solving problems for them.

We Choose...memories

This is not quite the same as a relationship...but stick with me on this one.

Any music fans out there? Are there any songs you know that remind you of a specific person?

Well, personally, I have a soft spot for Bell Biv DeVoe (jamming to Poison in my head right now). It's something that most people probably don't know about me (except maybe my sisters).

So, when I see a sign for a candidate named Bev Bell, all I can think of is Bell Biv DeVoe 🤣

Is this a "good" reason to choose a candidate?

Most people might not think so.

BUT...

Because the name creates nostalgia for me, I get a better FEELING thinking about them.

And sure, I went to check out their website as a pressure test...

And since I found nothing that particularly DIDN'T align with me?

She got my vote.

Marketing can also turn on nostalgia. And sometimes, brands do that intentionally.

The challenge? We never really know what's going to trigger nostalgia. But sometimes, just being ourselves is enough ;)

We Choose...resonance

Ok, last but certainly not least. When all the "features" (or platforms in the election scenario), are the same, our logic can't make the decision. So, we default to our feelings.

And like it or not, there are people we like, and people we don't.

That connection? It's based on resonance.

Does their way of being match yours? Do you like their sunny disposition? Maybe they said something off-hand that you've said before.

All of these things lead to resonance.

And sometimes, it can just be ONE thing that's enough.

For me, my last vote went to the "sunniest" candidate in the remaining sea of candidates.

Again, is that the "right" way to choose?

Well, for someone like me, who believes in the power of positive energy, looking to have some of that on my council is definitely the right decision.

We all have brands we love.

And brands we hate.

And most of the brands we know? Fall into the middle; into in-difference.

What's led to YOU loving a brand?

What is your brand currently doing that YOUR clients love?

Those things lead to the identification of resonance.

And building your marketing program on that? GAME CHANGER.

My Choice ≠ The Result

One more important note...just because I made my choices the way I did does NOT mean that the council is actually going to end up looking like that.

What is easy for me is different for other people. What is nostalgic for me is different for other people. What resonates with me is different. What builds a relationship; and what taps into a memory.

Which means, even if everyone used the SAME methods (which really, they do, even if they want to call it "logic"), the results would be different.

The choices they make? Different.

Which is why there are so many candidates. And so many brands.

There is LOTS of business to go around. And the people who will choose US are really the only people that matter.

Trying to convince someone to make the same decisision as me, based on MY experience, when THEIR experience is different, is folly.

So let's not waste our marketing cycles on THAT 👆

If you're looking at strategies to not be "the same" as everyone else, let's chat!