My industry is known for slow response times, so I made it my mission to answer inquiries within 15 minutes. I can't tell you how many clients told me they chose us simply because we replied first.
Our competitors charged hefty upfront fees, so we flipped the script with a subscription model. That lower entry cost made it easy for customers to try us out, and once they were in, they stuck with us.
We focused on training our employees to be experts, not just order-takers. When customers had questions, my staff had answers. That gave us an edge over competitors who just 'sold' without educating.
I simply outworked everyone in my space. If my competitors worked 9-5, I was available from 7 AM to 10 PM. I answered calls on weekends. I showed up early. That hustle got me the first wave of loyal customers.
We made customer service our biggest differentiator. While our competitors focused on price, we focused on relationships. We followed up personally with every customer, sent handwritten thank-you notes, and made it clear we valued their business. It worked—word-of-mouth referrals took off!