Principles that give competitive advantages to an enterprise. Competitive advantages of the company

Classmates

From this article you will learn:

• What are the types of competitive advantages of a company?
• What are the company's main competitive advantages?
• How the company's competitive advantages are formed and assessed
• How to use competitive advantages to increase sales

Over time, humanity reaches new heights, gaining more and more knowledge. This also applies to business. Each company is on the hunt for the most profitable marketing solutions, trying to do things differently and demonstrate its products in the best light. All enterprises sooner or later face competition, and therefore the company's competitive advantages play an important role in the market, which help the consumer decide on the choice of product.

What are the company's competitive advantages?

Competitive advantages companies are those characteristics, properties of a brand or product that create for the company a certain superiority over direct competitors. Economic development is impossible without competitive advantages. They are part of the company's corporate identity and also provide it with protection from attacks by competitors.

A company's sustainable competitive advantage is the development of a profitable development plan for the company, with the help of which its most promising opportunities are realized. Such a plan should not be used by any actual or prospective competitors, and the results of the plan should not be adopted by them.

The development of a company's competitive advantages is based on its goals and objectives, which are achieved in accordance with the company's position in the market for goods and services, as well as the level of success in their implementation. The reform of the operating system should create the basis for the effective development of factors of the company's competitive advantages, as well as create a strong relationship between this process and existing market conditions.

What are the different types of competitive advantages of a company?

What competitive advantages of the company can be identified? There are two types of competitive advantages:

1. Artificial competitive advantages: individual approach, advertising campaigns, guarantee and so on.
2. Natural competitive advantages of the company: product costs, buyers, competent management and so on.

An interesting fact: if a company does not strive to get ahead in the market for goods and services, classifying itself among a number of similar enterprises, it somehow has natural competitive advantages. In addition, she has every opportunity to develop artificial competitive advantages for the company, spending some time and effort on this. This is where all the knowledge about competitors is needed, since their activities need to be analyzed first.

Why do you need an analysis of a company's competitive advantage?

An interesting note about Runet: as a rule, about 90% of entrepreneurs do not analyze their competitors, and also do not develop competitive advantages using this analysis. There is only an exchange of some innovations, that is, firms adopt the ideas of competitors. It doesn’t matter who came up with something new first, it will still be “taken away”. This is how such clichés came to light:

• Highly qualified specialist;
• Personal approach;
• Highest quality;
• Competitive cost;
• First class service.

And others, which in fact do not represent the company’s competitive advantages, since no self-respecting enterprise will declare that its products are of low quality and its staff are newbies.

Oddly enough, this can be looked at from the other side. If the competitive advantages of companies are minimal, then it is easier for start-up companies to develop, that is, to gather their potential consumers, who receive a wider choice.

Therefore, it is necessary to competently develop strategic competitive advantages that will provide customers with a profitable purchase and positive emotions. Customer satisfaction should come from the business, not the product.

What are the sources of a company's competitive advantage?

There is a fairly well-established structure of the company's competitive advantages. Michael Porter once identified three main sources for developing a company's competitive advantage: differentiation, cost and focus. Now in more detail about each of them:

• Differentiation

The implementation of this strategy for the company's competitive advantages is based on more efficient provision of services to the company's clients, as well as demonstrating the company's products in the best light.

• Costs

The implementation of this strategy is based on the following competitive advantages of the company: minimal employee costs, automated production, minimal scale costs, the ability to use limited resources, and the use of patented technologies that reduce production costs.

• Focus

This strategy is based on the same sources as the previous two, but the company’s adopted competitive advantage covers the needs of a narrow circle of customers. Customers outside this group are either dissatisfied with the company's competitive advantages or are not affected by it in any way.

The main (natural) competitive advantages of the company

Every company has a natural competitive advantage. But not all enterprises cover them. This is a group of companies whose competitive advantages are either, as they believe, obvious or disguised as generally accepted clichés. So, the main competitive advantages of the company are:

1. Price. Whatever one may say, one of the main advantages of any company. If prices for a company's goods or services are lower than competitive prices, as a rule, this price gap is indicated immediately. For example, “prices are 15% lower” or “we offer retail products at wholesale prices.” It is very important to indicate prices this way, especially if the company operates in the corporate sphere (B2B).
2. Timing (time). It is imperative to indicate the exact delivery time of products for each type. This is a very important point when developing a company's competitive advantages. Here you should avoid imprecise definitions of terms (“we will deliver quickly”, “we will deliver on time”).
3. Experience. When your company’s personnel are professionals in their field who know all the “pitfalls” of doing business, then convey this to consumers. They like to collaborate with specialists whom they can contact for all questions of interest.
4. Special conditions. These may include the following: exclusive supply offers (discount system, convenient location of the company, extensive warehouse program, included gifts, payment after delivery, and so on).
5. Authority. The authority factor includes: various achievements of the company, prizes at exhibitions, competitions and other events, awards, well-known suppliers or buyers. All this increases the popularity of your company. A very significant element is the status of a professional expert, which involves the participation of your employees at various conferences, in advertising interviews, and on the Internet.
6. Narrow specialization. This type of competitive advantage is best explained with an example. The owner of an expensive car wants to replace some parts in his car and is faced with a choice: contact a specialized salon that services only cars of his brand, or a standard auto repair shop. Of course, he will choose a professional salon. This represents a component of the unique trade offer(USP), which is often used as a company’s competitive advantage.
7. Other actual benefits. Such competitive advantages of the company include: a wider range of products, patented manufacturing technology, adoption of a special plan for the sale of goods, and so on. The main thing here is to stand out.

Artificial competitive advantages of the company

Artificial competitive advantages are able to help a company talk about itself if it does not have any special offers. This may come in handy when:

1. The company has a similar structure to its competitors (the competitive advantages of companies in a particular field of activity are the same).
2. The company is located between large and small enterprises (it does not have a large range of products, does not have a narrow focus and sells products at a standard price).
3. The company is at the initial stage of development, without any special competitive advantages, client base or popularity among consumers. This often happens when specialists decide to leave their workplace and create their own enterprise.

In such cases, it is necessary to develop artificial competitive advantages, which are:

1. Added value. For example, a company sells computers without being able to compete on price. In this case, you can use the following competitive advantage of companies: install an operating system and the necessary standard programs, and then slightly increase the cost of equipment. This is the added value, which also includes all sorts of promotions and bonus offers.
2. Personal adjustment. This company's competitive advantage works well if competitors hide behind standard clichés. Its purpose is to demonstrate the face of the company and apply the WHY formula. Has success in every field of activity.
3. Responsibility. Quite an effective competitive advantage for the company. It goes well with personal development. A person likes to deal with people who can vouch for their products or services.
4. Guarantees. Generally, there are two types of warranties: circumstance (for example, a liability guarantee - “if you don’t receive a receipt, we will pay for your purchase”) and product or service (for example, the ability for a consumer to return or exchange an item within up to one month).
5. Reviews. Unless, of course, they are ordered. For potential consumers, the status of the person speaking about your company is important. This advantage works great when reviews are presented on a special form with a certified signature of a person.
6. Demonstration. It is one of the main competitive advantages of the company. If the company does not have advantages, or they are not obvious, then it can make an illustrated presentation of its product. If the company works in the service sector, then you can make a video presentation. The main thing here is to correctly focus on the properties of the product.
7. Cases. But there may not be any cases, especially for new firms. In this case, you can develop artificial cases, the essence of which is to provide services either to yourself, or to a potential buyer, or to an existing client on a mutual basis. Then you will receive a case that will show the level of professionalism of your company.
8. Unique selling proposition. It has already been mentioned in this article. The meaning of the USP is that the company operates with a certain detail, or provides data that sets it apart from its competitors. This competitive advantage of the company is effectively used by the Practicum Group, which offers training programs.

Personnel as a company's competitive advantage

Unfortunately, today not every management sees the company’s excellent competitive advantage in its personnel. Based on the developed strategies and goals, companies come to the need to build, develop and strengthen the personal qualities of their employees they need. But at the same time, companies come to the need to apply a certain combination of developed strategies (this also applies to internal management).

Based on this, you need to pay attention to a couple important points: identify and develop the qualities of personnel, creating a competitive advantage for the company, and explain the usefulness of investing in this resource.

If the goal of management is to create a competitive advantage for the company in the person of its personnel, then work on the personal characteristics of employees, as well as the concept of the essence and effectiveness of aspects that are identified in team work (emergence and synergy) are very important.

The process of establishing a team as a company’s competitive advantage is not complete without resolving some points that the company’s management must take into account:

1. Competent organization of employee activities.
2. Employees' interest in successfully achieving their goals.
3. Forming a desire among the team to actively participate in the process of obtaining high results.
4. Supporting the personal qualities of employees required by the company.
5. Developing company commitment.

It is worth paying attention to the essence of the proposed aspects that form the competitive advantage of the company in the person of its personnel.

Quite a few famous large organizations win in the competition precisely thanks to the effective use of personnel as a competitive advantage of the company, as well as due to the gradual increase in the level of interest of employees in achieving their goals. The main criteria for success in the process of using all possible resources are: the desire of employees to remain part of the company and work for its benefit, the dedication of the staff to their company, the confidence of the staff in success and their sharing of the principles and values ​​of their company.

It is characterized by the following elements:

• Identification. It assumes that employees have a sense of pride in their company, as well as the factor of goal appropriation (when staff accept the company’s goals as their own).
• Engagement. Assumes employees' willingness to invest own strength, actively participate in achieving high results.
• Loyalty. It assumes a psychological attachment to the company, a desire to continue working for its benefit.

These criteria are extremely important in shaping the company’s competitive advantage in the form of its personnel.

The degree of employee commitment is closely related to the level of staff response to external or internal stimulation.

When developing a company's competitive advantage in the person of its personnel, it is worth noting some aspects that reveal the dedication of employees:

• Dedicated employees strive to improve their skills.
• Committed employees rely on their views without being manipulated or otherwise negatively influenced.
• Dedicated employees strive to achieve maximum success.
• Loyal employees are able to take into account the interests of all team members and see something beyond the boundaries of the goal.
• Dedicated employees are always open to something new.
• Loyal employees have a higher degree of respect not only for themselves, but also for others.

Loyalty is a multifaceted concept. It contains the ethics of the team, the degree of its motivation, the principles of its activities, and the degree of job satisfaction. This is why a competitive advantage in the form of personnel is one of the most effective. This dedication is reflected in the relationships employees have with everyone around them in the workplace.

When management wants to create a competitive advantage in the form of staff, then the task arises of creating loyalty among employees. Prerequisites for formation are divided into two types: personal characteristics of employees and working conditions.

The competitive advantages of the company in the person of its personnel are formed using the following personal characteristics of employees:

• Reasons for choosing this field of activity.
• Work motivation and work principles.
• Education.
• Age.
• Marital status.
• Existing work ethic.
• Convenience of the company's territorial location.

The competitive advantages of the company in the person of its personnel are formed through the following working conditions:

• The level of employee interest in achieving maximum success of the company.
• Employee awareness level.
• Degree stress state employees.
• The degree to which important needs of employees are met (wages, working conditions, opportunity to express their creativity and so on).

But it is also necessary to take into account the dependence of loyalty on the personal characteristics of the staff and the atmosphere in the companies themselves. And therefore, if management has set out to create a competitive advantage for the company in the person of its personnel, it first needs to analyze how acute the problems in this company are that could negatively affect the loyalty of employees.

Brand as a company's competitive advantage

Today, in order to fight competitors, companies include additional services in the list of core services, introduce new methods of doing business, and prioritize both staff and each consumer. The company's competitive advantages arise from analyzing the market, developing a plan for its development, and obtaining important information. Firms, in the process of competition and constant change, need to work both with the internal management of the organization and with the development of a strategy that ensures a strong position of stable competitiveness and allows them to monitor the changing situation in the market. Today, in order to maintain competitiveness, it is important for companies to master modern principles of management and production, which will allow the company to create a competitive advantage.

A company's trademark (brand), when used correctly, can increase its income, increase the number of sales, replenish the existing assortment, inform the buyer about the exclusive advantages of a product or service, stay in this field of activity, and also introduce effective development methods. This is why a brand can serve as a company's competitive advantage. Management that does not take this factor into account will never see their organization among the leaders. But a trademark is a rather expensive option for a company’s competitive advantage, the implementation of which requires special management skills, knowledge of company positioning methods, and experience working with a brand. There are several stages of trademark development related specifically to the topic of its relationship with competition:

1. Goal setting:
   • Formulation of the company's goals and objectives (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Establishing the significance of the brand within the company.
   • Establishing the necessary position of the brand (characteristics, longevity, competitive advantages of the company).
   • Establishing measurable brand criteria (KPIs).

1. Development layout:
   • Assessment of existing resources (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Approval of customers and all performers.
   • Approval of development deadlines.
   • Identify additional goals or obstacles.

1. Assessment of the existing position of the trademark (applies to existing trademarks):
   • Popularity of the brand among customers.
   • Brand awareness of potential customers.
   • Potential customers' affinity for the brand.
   • Degree of brand loyalty.

1. Assessment of the market situation:
   • Assessment of competitors (the initial stage for the formation of any competitive advantages of the company).
   • Assessment of a potential consumer (the criteria are preferences and needs).
   • Assessment of the sales market (supply, demand, development).

1. Statement of the essence of the brand:
   • The purpose, position and benefit of the brand to potential customers.
   • Exclusivity (competitive advantages for the company, value, characteristic features).
   • Trademark attributes (components, appearance, main idea).

1. Brand management planning:
   • Work on developing marketing elements and explaining the brand management process (entered in the organization’s brand book).
   • Appointment of employees responsible for promoting the brand.

1. Introduction and increasing the popularity of the brand (the success of the company’s competitive advantages in terms of brand promotion depends on this stage):
   • Development of a media plan.
   • Ordering advertising materials.
   • Distribution of promotional materials.
   • Multifunctional loyalty programs.

1. Analysis of the effectiveness of the brand and the work performed:
   • Grade quantitative characteristics brand (KPI) established at the first stage.
   • Comparison of the results obtained with the planned ones.
   • Amending the strategy.

A necessary criterion for the effective implementation of a trademark as a company’s competitive advantage is adherence to a single corporate style, which represents the visual and semantic integrity of the company’s image. The components of corporate style are: product name, trademark, trademark, motto, corporate colors, employee uniforms and other elements of the company’s intellectual property. Corporate style is a set of verbal, color, visual, individually developed constants (components) that guarantee the company the visual and semantic integrity of the company’s products, its information resources, as well as its overall structure. Corporate style can also act as a company’s competitive advantage. Its existence indicates that the head of the company aims to make a good impression on clients. The main goal of branding is to evoke in the client the positive feelings that he experienced when purchasing the products of this company. If other marketing components are at their best, then the corporate style can create some competitive advantages for the company (specifically within the framework of the topic of opportunities for competition):

• Positively affects the aesthetic position and visual perception of the company;
• Strengthens the effectiveness of collective work, can unite staff, increases employee interest and the feeling of their need for the organization (the company’s competitive advantage in the person of its personnel);
• Contributes to the achievement of integrity in the advertising campaign and other marketing communications of the organization;
• Reduces communication development costs;
• Increases the effectiveness of advertising projects;
• Reduces costs for selling new products;
• Makes it easier for customers to navigate information flows and allows them to accurately and quickly find the company’s products.

A brand association consists of four elements that are also important to consider when developing a company’s competitive advantages:

1. Intangible criteria. This includes everything that deals with information about the brand: its idea, degree of popularity and distinctive features.
2. Tangible criteria. Here the impact on the senses plays a very important role. These criteria are functional (a special form for more convenient use, for example), physical, and also visual (display of the brand on advertising materials). Both tangible and intangible criteria are necessary when developing a company's competitive advantages.
3. Emotional characteristics. A brand represents a company's competitive advantage when it evokes positive emotions and trust among customers. Here it is necessary to use tangible criteria (for example, unique advertising campaign). Experts say that these criteria create an opinion among customers about the intangible characteristics of the brand.
4. Rational characteristics. They are based on the functional criteria of the product (for example, fuel-efficient vehicles from Volkswagen or Duracell batteries that last “up to ten times longer”), on the way they communicate with consumers (an example is Amazon), and on relationships between customers and the company that owns the brand (promotions for regular customers from various airlines). Taking into account rational characteristics is very important when forming a company’s competitive advantages.

When developing a company's competitive advantages, it is necessary to know the main carriers of the corporate style components:

• Elements of service components (large stickers, large panels, calendars mounted on the wall, and so on).
• Office components (corporate forms, registration forms, blocks of paper materials for notes, and so on).
• Advertising on paper (catalogs, all types of calendars, booklets, prospectuses, etc.).
• Souvenir products (fountain pens, T-shirts, office stationery, etc.).
• Elements of propaganda (materials in the media, decoration of halls for various events, propaganda prospectus).
• Documentation (business cards, passes, personnel identification cards, etc.).
• Other forms (corporate banner, packaging materials with company symbols, employee uniforms, etc.).

The brand also affects the competitive advantage of the company in the person of its personnel, contributing to the unity of employees who feel their importance for the organization. It turns out that a trademark is an element of the company’s development process, increasing its income and sales, as well as helping to replenish the product range and increase customer awareness of all positive aspects service or product. These conditions also strengthen the company's competitive advantages.

Competitive advantages of the company: examples of global giants

Example No. 1. Apple's competitive advantages:

1. Technologies. This is one of the main competitive advantages of an innovative company. Each element of software and technology is developed within one enterprise, and therefore the components are in perfect harmony as a whole. This makes the developer's work easier, ensures high quality products and reduces production costs. For the consumer, comfort of use and elegant design play an important role. appearance devices. A complete set of necessary parts and programs is not only a company’s competitive advantage, but also a fact that forces consumers to purchase new gadgets.
2. HR. One of the company's leading competitive advantages is its staff. Apple hires high-quality professionals (the most able-bodied, creative and advanced) and tries to keep them in the company, providing decent wages and various bonuses for personal achievements. In addition, it saves costs on unskilled employees and child labor at supplier plants Inventec and Foxconn.
3. Consumer trust. With the help of an effective PR and marketing strategy, an organization is able to create a regular customer base for itself, as well as increase the popularity of the brand. All this increases the success of applying the competitive advantages of the international company Apple. For example, the company collaborates with promising musicians (YaeNaim, Royksopp, Feist, and so on). Famous organizations(for example, SciencesPoParis) enter into contracts for the complete completion of their libraries with the company’s products. There are about 500 stores around the world that sell only Apple products.
4. Innovation. This is the main competitive advantage of an innovative company. By investing in R&D, the organization quickly responds to emerging customer needs. An example is the Macintosh, developed in 1984, which gained commercial popularity and had graphical elements that were popular among users, as well as changes to the command system. The first iPhone was released in 2007 and gained immense popularity. MacBookAir does not lose its position, still remaining the thinnest laptop of our time. These competitive advantages of the company are a great success and they are undeniable.
5. Organization of the supply chain. The popularity of the Apple brand means that the company has entered into many productive agreements with supplier factories. This ensures the firm's own supplies and cuts off supplies for competitors, who need to purchase the required components from the market at a higher cost. This is a great competitive advantage for the company, which weakens its competitors. Apple often invests in improving its delivery process, which results in more revenue. For example, in the 90s, many companies transported computers by water, but Apple overpaid about $50 million on the eve of Christmas for transporting products by air. This competitive advantage of the company eliminated competitors, because they did not want or did not think of transporting goods in this way. Moreover, the company maintains strict control over suppliers, constantly requesting documentation of expenses.

Example No. 2. Competitive advantages of the Coca-Cola company

1. .Key Benefits The main competitive advantage of the Coca-Cola trading company is its popularity, because it is the most major brand among producers of soft drinks, with about 450 types of products. This brand is the most expensive in the world; it includes 12 more manufacturing companies (Sprite, Fanta, Vitaminwater, Coca-Cola Lite, and so on). The company's competitive advantage lies in the fact that it is the first supplier of all types of soft drinks.
2. Technologies from Soca-Cola(this is the main competitive advantage of the company). There were many who wanted to know the secret recipe for the drinks. This recipe is in the Trust Company Of Georgia safe deposit box in the USA. Only a few senior managers of the organization can open it. The already produced drink base is sent to manufacturing plants, where it is mixed with water using a specialized, precise process. Creating this base for a drink today is far from the easiest task. The trick is that the composition of the drink contains “natural flavors”, the specific elements of which are not specified.
3. Innovation(this also includes the company’s competitive advantage in the field of ecology):
   • The company wants to improve low sales with modern equipment. Such machines are capable of dispensing more than 100 types of drinks and making original mixes (light cola and diet cola, for example).
   • The Coca-Cola Company's environmental competitive advantage lies in its Reimagine recycling program. This makes it easier for the company’s management to dispose and sort waste. In such a machine you can put containers made of plastic and aluminum, excluding the sorting process. In addition, the device awards points that are used to purchase company drinks, branded bags and to visit various entertainment projects.
   • This competitive advantage of the company works well because the company strives to produce an environmentally friendly product. In addition, Coca-Cola is developing a program to use eStar cars, which operate without harmful emissions due to electric motors.
4. Geographical advantage. The geographical competitive advantage of the company as a construction company is that it sells its products in 200 countries around the world. For example, in our country there are 16 Coca-Cola manufacturing plants.

Example No. 3. Competitive advantages of Nestlé.

1. Product range and marketing strategy. The company's competitive advantage lies in the fact that it operates a wide range of products, as well as a large assortment of brands that strengthen it in the product market. The products consist of approximately 30 major brands and a huge number of local brands. Nestle's competitive advantage lies in creating a national strategy that is based on people's needs. For example, the Nescafe coffee drink, which has a different manufacturing structure for different countries. It all depends on the needs and preferences of the buyer.
2. Effective management and the structure of the organization. A very significant competitive advantage for the company. An indicator of success is the company's sales increase by 9% in 2008, which was considered a crisis year. The organization successfully manages personnel and effectively finances new projects and programs. These programs involve the purchase of shares of other companies, even competing ones. Thus, the company's competitive advantage lies in its expansion. In addition, the company's decentralized management system and competent management of its structures help Nestle quickly respond to market changes.
3. Innovation. An extremely significant competitive advantage of the company is that it is the largest investor in scientific projects and technological innovations that contribute to the development of the company through the introduction of technologies that satisfy customer needs, product differentiation, and improved taste sensations. Moreover, innovation is used to modernize manufacturing processes. This competitive advantage of the company solves the issue of optimizing manufacturing and producing an environmentally friendly product.
4. Global presence in world markets. The company’s undeniable competitive advantage, which is based on the history of its creation, because from the moment it appeared on the market, it gradually expanded and improved, covering the whole world. Nestle is interested in bringing consumers closer to the company. It allows its divisions to independently appoint managers, organize the production and delivery process of products, and cooperate with reliable suppliers.
5. Qualified personnel. This competitive advantage of the company in the person of personnel lies in the large costs of the company for training its employees in international level. Nestle creates a highly qualified management team from its employees. The workforce in our country numbers approximately 4,600 people, and the global human resource The company has about 300 thousand employees.

Example No. 4. Toyota's competitive advantages

1. High quality products. The main competitive advantage of the company is a top-level product. In our country in 2015, about 120 thousand cars of this brand were sold. The fact that this competitive advantage of the company is decisive, said its ex-president Fujio Cho. And therefore, when buying a Toyota car, the consumer is guaranteed a set of modern technological developments.
2. Wide range of models. Toyota showrooms operate all models of the brand's cars: Toyota Corolla (compact passenger car), Toyota Avensis (universal and comfortable car), Toyota Prus ( new model), Toyota Camry (a whole series of cars is presented), Toyota Verso (a car for the whole family), Toyota RAV4 (small SUVs), Toyota LandCruiser 200 and LandCruiserPrado (popular modern SUVs), Toyota Highlander (all-wheel drive crossovers), Toyota Hiace (comfortable, small car). This is an excellent competitive advantage for the company, because the model range of cars is presented for consumers with different preferences and financial capabilities.
3. Effective marketing. An excellent competitive advantage of the company is the certification of vehicles with inspections from Toyota Tested. Customers who buy such a car in our country have the opportunity to receive round-the-clock assistance, which consists of: permanent job technical support services. The company's cars can be purchased through the Trade-In program, which simplifies the purchase due to favorable offers from Toyota.
4. The customer comes first. Another important competitive advantage of the company, for which Toyota developed the “Personal&Premium” program in 2010, presenting it at the international automobile show in Moscow. The program includes the availability of favorable loan offers when purchasing a car. Specialists from the New Car Buy Survey organization have found that Russian consumers are most loyal to Toyota.
5. Effective company management. This competitive advantage of the company is expressed in the presence of an effective ERP program that can control the entire set of activities for the sales of Toyota cars in Russia online. The program was developed in 2003. The uniqueness of this program in Russia lies in its combination with the market position, with various features of doing business in our country, with our existing laws. Another competitive advantage of the company is its holistic corporate structure, which helps the company and its partners quickly operate with data on the availability of certain product models in showrooms, warehouses, and so on. Moreover, Microsoft Dynamics AX contains all the documentation on operations carried out with cars.

Example No. 5. Competitive advantages of Samsung Group

1. Consumer trust. The company was founded in 1938 and over many years of hard work has achieved tremendous results (for example, 20th place in brand price, second place in equipment). Consumer trust is the company’s most important competitive advantage Samsung Group. The document management organization turned out to be the “most reliable” in the world. These are indicators that demonstrate how the company's history, its brand and customer trust turn into a huge competitive advantage for the company.
2. Company management. This competitive advantage of the company lies in its vast experience in the field of management, as well as in constantly improving methods of management in changing market conditions. For example, the recent reform of the company, carried out in 2009, led to the fact that the company's divisions gained more independence, thereby simplifying the entire management process.
3. Technologies. This company's competitive advantage lies in the fact that it works with high technology. Samsung Group pioneered the technology of reciprocating and rotary compressors, optical fiber, energy application and concentration. In addition, the company has developed the thinnest lithium-ion power supplies. The company's competitive advantages as a construction company are manifested in the fact that it ranks first in the development of communication systems for business areas of activity and is moving forward in the creation of technologies for gas and oil pipelines, as well as other areas of construction.
4. The company has an innovative advantage. This competitive advantage of the company lies in the fact that it works tirelessly in the field of equipment modernization and innovative product components. The organization contains many scientific units around the world. They carry out research activities in the field of chemical current resources, software and various equipment. Samsung is implementing a scheme to promote electrical engineering and is working on ways to retain energy resources. The company's competitive advantage is also the hiring of highly qualified employees from different parts of the world. In addition, the corporation partners with the best technological universities in the world, investing in their developments and ideas.
5. Successful marketing system of the company. The company's competitive advantage is also a strong marketing campaign in many areas of activity (in its competition with Apple Corporation, Samsung pursued a rather aggressive advertising policy, trying to surpass it). A division of the company called Cheil Communications operates in this area. It works in the field of advertising, marketing analysis and market situation analysis. In addition, an element of the company’s competitive advantage is its assistance in the field of charity, which attracts consumers to it and increases its popularity. The corporation also has special departments for charity issues.

How a company's competitive advantages are formed from scratch

Of course, any organization has its pros and cons, even when it does not occupy a leading position and does not stand out in the market. In order to analyze the causes of these phenomena and develop effective competitive advantages for the company, you need to turn, oddly enough, to your own consumer, who, like no one else, is able to competently assess the situation and point out the shortcomings.

Customers can point to various competitive advantages of a company: location, reliability, simple preference, and so on. It is necessary to compile and evaluate this data in order to be able to increase the profitability of the enterprise.

However, this is not enough. Put the strengths and weaknesses (what you have and what you don't) of your firm in writing. To develop effective competitive advantages for a company, it is worthwhile to clearly and specifically indicate all the details, for example:

Abstraction	Specifics
Reliability guarantee	Our reliability is our specialty: we insure transportation for 5 million rubles.
Professionalism guaranteed	About 20 years of experience in the market and more than 500 developed programs will help us understand even the most difficult situations.
We produce high quality products	We are three times ahead of GOST in terms of technical product criteria.
Personal approach to everyone	We say “no!” briefs. We work only individually, working out all the important details of the business.
First class service	Technical support 24 hours seven days a week! We solve even the most complex problems in just 20 minutes!
Low production cost	Prices are 15% lower than market prices due to the production of our own raw materials.

Not all of the company’s competitive advantages should be reflected in this block, but here it is important to indicate all the pros and cons of the organization, from which you will need to build.

Focus, divide a piece of paper into two parts and start adding the pros and cons of your company there. Then evaluate the shortcomings and turn them into competitive advantages of the company. For example:

Flaw	Turning into an advantage
Distance of the company from the city center	Yes, but the office and warehouse are nearby. Then buyers will be able to park their car without any problems and evaluate the quality of the product right on the spot.
Price is higher than competitive	The price includes additional services (for example, installation of an operating system and all basic programs on a computer).
Long delivery time	But the range includes not only a standard set of products, but also exclusive products for individual use.
Newbie company	But the company has modern qualities (mobility, efficiency, a new look at things, and so on).
Limited product selection	But there is confidence in the originality of a certain brand and a more detailed knowledge of the product.

It's not all that complicated here. Then, using this list, it is necessary to develop the company's competitive advantages from the most important to the most insignificant. They should be clear to the potential client, concise and effective.

There is also an aspect that is kept secret by many companies. It can be used periodically when the company’s other competitive advantages cannot be realized or when it is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of its advantages. The advantages of the organization must be properly combined with meeting the needs of the consumer.

Illustrative examples:

• Was: Work experience – 15 years.

• Became: Cost reduction by 70%, thanks to the company's many years of experience

• Was: Reduced prices for goods.

• Became: The cost of products is 20% lower, and transportation costs are 15% lower due to the availability of our own vehicles.

How to assess a company's competitive advantages

The success of a company's competitive advantages can be assessed by fully assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the company's position in the competition and comparing the results of the analysis with the indicators of competitors. The analysis can be carried out by referring to the method of exponential assessment of the CFU.

A well-developed action plan can turn the shortcomings of rival firms into competitive advantages for your company.

The criteria for this analysis can be:

• The firm's stability in protecting its position within the framework of market changes in its industries, fierce competition and competitive advantages of competing companies.
• The company has effective competitive advantages or a lack or lack thereof.
• Opportunities for achieving success in competition when operating with this action plan (the company’s position in the competitive system).
• The level of sustainability of the company in the current period.

Analysis of competitors' activities can be carried out using the method of weighted or unweighted assessments. The former are determined by multiplying a company’s score on a certain indicator of competitive capabilities (from 1 to 10) by its weight. The second assumes the fact that all efficiency factors are equally important. A company's competitive advantages are realized most effectively when it has the highest ratings.

The last stage assumes that company specialists must identify strategic mistakes that negatively affect the formation of the company's competitive advantages. An effective program should include ways out of any difficult situation.

The task of this stage is to create a comprehensive list of problems, overcoming which is of paramount importance for the formation of the company’s competitive advantages and its strategy. The list is derived based on the results of an assessment of the company’s activities, the market situation and the position of competitors.

It is impossible to identify these problems without addressing the following points:

• In what cases is the adopted program unable to protect the company from external and internal problem situations?
• Is the adopted strategy providing a decent degree of protection from current competitors' actions?
• To what extent does the adopted program support and combine with the company's competitive advantages?
• Is the adopted program effective in this area of ​​activity, taking into account the impact of driving forces?

It is necessary to try to ensure that the company's competitive advantages are used by product sales specialists. They, as a rule, have extensive knowledge about the product and the company, but not about the competitors of their own organization, which is a serious mistake. Knowing the competitive advantages of your company and the ability to work on competitive advantages is one of the important skills of sales managers.

Almost everyone has the opportunity to implement a discount system. The competent use of a company's competitive advantages is expressed not in dumping, but in the art of strengthening the position of one's organization and its interests.

To master this art, you can take part in trainings from the Practicum Group organization. It provides services for conducting training programs that help improve the performance of staff, management, the company's competitive advantages, as well as increase sales and strengthen relationships with consumers.

List of services:

• “PROFESSIONAL” sales manager training program.
• Trainings for managers and employees.
• Management training.
• Trainings at the specialized center “Practicum Group”.

The founder of the Practicum Group organization is Evgeniy Igorevich Kotov. It has been operating since 2006 and during all this time it has managed to train more than 40 thousand people: employees, managers, managers of all types, and so on.

The organization covers about 100 cities in the CIS countries, as well as Turkey, Moldova, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan

Strategic management is designed to ensure the company's survival in the long term. Of course, when we're talking about about survival in a competitive market environment, there is no question that the company can eke out a miserable existence. It is very important to understand that as soon as someone associated with a company becomes unhappy with this connection, he leaves the company, and after a while it dies. Therefore, survival in the long term automatically means that the company copes quite successfully with its tasks, bringing satisfaction with its activities to those who enter the sphere of its business interaction. First of all, this concerns customers, employees of the company and its owners.

Concept of competitive advantage

How can an organization ensure its survival in the long term, what must be inherent in it so that it can cope with its tasks? The answer to this question is completely obvious: the organization must produce a product that will consistently find buyers. This means that the product must, firstly, be so interesting to the buyer that he is willing to pay money for it, and, secondly, it must be more interesting to the buyer than a similar or similar product in consumer qualities produced by other companies. If a product has these two properties, then the product is said to have competitive advantages.

Consequently, a company can successfully exist and develop only if its product has competitive advantages. Strategic management is designed to create competitive advantages.

Consideration of the issue of creating and maintaining competitive advantages involves analyzing the relationships and, accordingly, the interaction of three subjects of the market environment. The first subject is “our” company producing a certain product. The second subject Ekt is a buyer who may or may not buy this product. The third buyer is competitors who are ready to sell their products to the buyer, which can satisfy the same need as and a product produced by “our” company. The main thing in this market “love” triangle is the buyer. Therefore, the competitive advantages of a product are the value contained in the product for the buyer, which encourages him to buy this product. Competitive advantages do not necessarily arise from comparing the product of “our” company with the products of competitors. It may be that there are no firms on the market offering a competitive product, but nevertheless the product of “our” company is not sold. This means that it does not have sufficient customer value or competitive advantage.

Types of competitive advantages

What creates competitive advantages? It is believed that there are two possibilities for this. First, the product itself may have a competitive advantage. One type of competitive advantage of a product is its price characteristics. Very often, a buyer purchases a product only because it is cheaper than other products that have similar consumer properties. Sometimes a product is purchased only because it is very cheap. Such purchases can occur even if the product has no consumer utility for the buyer.

The second type of competitive advantage is differentiation. In this case, we are talking about the fact that the product has distinctive features that make it attractive to the buyer. Differentiation is not necessarily related to the consumer (utilitarian) qualities of the product (reliability, ease of use, good functional characteristics, etc.). It can be achieved due to such characteristics that have nothing to do with its utilitarian consumer properties, for example, due to the brand.

Secondly, in addition to creating a competitive advantage in a product, a firm may try to create a competitive advantage for its product in its market position. This is achieved by securing the buyer or, in other words, by monopolizing part of the market. In principle, this situation contradicts market relations, since in it the buyer is deprived of the opportunity to choose. However, in real practice, many companies manage not only to create such a competitive advantage for their product, but also to maintain it for quite a long time.

Strategy for creating competitive advantages

There are three strategies for creating competitive advantage. The first strategy is price leadership. With this strategy, the company's focus when developing and manufacturing a product is costs. The main sources of creating price advantages are:

Rational business management based on accumulated experience;

Economies of scale due to lower costs per unit of production while increasing production volumes;

Savings on variety as a result of cost reduction due to the synergistic effect that occurs in the production of different products;

Optimization of intra-company relations, helping to reduce company-wide costs;

Integration of distribution networks and supply systems;

Optimization of the company's activities over time;

Geographical location of the company's activities, allowing to achieve cost reduction through the use of local characteristics.

Implementing pricing strategy creating competitive advantages for a product, the company must not forget that its product at the same time must correspond to a certain level of goodness and differentiation. Only in this case can price leadership bring a significant effect. If the quality of the price leader's product is significantly lower than the quality of similar products, then creating a price competitive advantage may require such a strong price reduction that it can lead to negative consequences for the company. However, it should be kept in mind that cost leadership and differentiation strategies should not be mixed, and certainly should not be attempted at the same time.

Differentiationis the second strategy for creating competitive advantage. With this strategy, the company tries to give the product something distinctive, unusual, that the buyer may like and for which the buyer is willing to pay. A differentiation strategy aims to make a product different from what competitors make it. To achieve this, the company has to go beyond the functional properties of the product.

Firms do not necessarily use differentiation to obtain price premiums. Differentiation can help expand sales by increasing the number of products sold or by stabilizing consumption, regardless of fluctuations in market demand.

In the case of implementing a strategy for creating competitive advantages through differentiation, it is very important to focus on consumer priorities and interests of the buyer. It was previously said that a differentiation strategy involves creating a product that is unique in its own way, different from the products of competitors. But it is important to remember that for a competitive advantage to emerge, the product's unusualness, novelty, or uniqueness must be of value to the buyer. Therefore, the differentiation strategy assumes the study of consumer interests as a starting point. To do this you need:

It is enough to clearly imagine not just who the buyer is, but who makes the decision on purchase issues;

Study the consumer criteria by which the choice is made when purchasing a product (price, functional properties, guarantees, delivery time, etc.);

Determine the factors that form the buyer’s understanding of the product (sources of information about the properties of the product, image, etc.).

After this, based on the ability to create a product with the appropriate degree of differentiation and the appropriate price (the price should allow the buyer to purchase the differentiated product), the firm can begin to develop and produce this product.

The third strategy a firm can use to create a competitive advantage in its product is focusing on the interests of specific consumers. In this case, the company creates its product specifically for specific customers. Concentrated product creation is associated with the fact that either some unusual need of a certain group of people is satisfied (in this case, the company's product is very specialized), or a specific system of access to the product is created (a system for selling and delivering the product). By pursuing a strategy of concentrated creation of competitive advantages, a company can use both price attraction and differentiation at the same time.

As you can see, all three strategies for creating competitive advantages have significant distinctive features, allowing us to conclude that the company must clearly define for itself what strategy it is going to implement, and in no case mix these strategies. At the same time, it should be noted that there is a certain connection between these strategies, and this should also be taken into account by firms when creating competitive advantages.

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More and more often in texts on websites I see subheadings in the style a la “Why us?”, under which lists like this are inserted:

We are a dynamically developing company

We use only advanced technologies

We employ professionals in their field

And so on... At first glance, it seems like text and text, what’s wrong with that: everyone writes like that. But let's look at this text more closely. This list is supposed to highlight competitive advantages. Competitive advantages are what differentiate a company from others.

Now tell me what adequate competitor would write:

Our company stands still and does not develop

The quality of our services is complete trash

We have the most shabby technologies and archaic approaches

We employ only laymen and amateurs

We bring all clients under the same brush

Exactly! Nobody will write like that. So it turns out that the advantages described in the first list are not advantages at all, since competitors also write about the same thing.

But that's not all

And now the most interesting thing... In general, it is believed that the company’s advantages should help the consumer in making a choice. Therefore, they must tell the consumer what he gets by choosing a particular brand. However, when companies everywhere shout: “We are this..., we are that... and we also have... how great we are!”, the consumer has a logical question: “Wait a minute, guys, where am I?”

Lack of customer focus is the most common mistake made by most benefit writers. At the same time, special unique people manage to present the height of “creativity” instead of specificity and accessibility, which introduces even more confusion. For example:

We make foie gras from liverwort for our clients.

We clone ourselves to solve any problem

We ignore the laws of space-time continuum

Etc. However, you can dwell on the shortcomings as much as you like. Let's take a closer look at how to properly describe benefits.

How to correctly describe the company's advantages

For example:

“We use only advanced technologies”

Changes to

“You save your time because we use only advanced technologies”

2. In addition, the more specific the benefits are, the stronger they will be.

For example:

We provide the highest quality services

Changes to

“You are protected as a consumer. The quality of our services complies with international quality standards ISO 0889.25 and ISO 0978.18. In addition, each of our services comes with a 2-year warranty.”

3. Explicitly indicate differences

Another effective tactic is to point out the differences head-on. However, in this case you also need to be as specific as possible. For example:

“What sets us apart from our competitors is that:

Our bank and its partners have over 5,000 ATMs installed in the city of N, which means you will not experience any problems with withdrawing cash.

Our bank has established partnerships with banks in neighboring countries, which means that you will be able to freely enter adjacent markets.”

☑ HINT: the above example can be strengthened by putting the second part (with benefit) at the beginning, and the property of the bank at the end of the sentence, connecting with the conjunction “because”.

☑ SUMMARY:

So, if you want to convey a company's benefits as a working marketing tool rather than just a hymn, try to make them specific and customer-focused. Avoid empty clichés and describe the benefits, accompanying them with numbers, facts and cases.

Talk about the number of completed projects, the volume of products produced, publish successful cases. It is very important not to slip into self-praise, but to show how much real benefit your products or services brought.

Are your services useful? Tell us about it!

Post reviews from real customers with links to their social media profiles/company websites so that potential clients can get confirmation. 90% of people will not check the authenticity of these reviews, but such openness on your part will earn their trust.

High level of quality/service

And the standard continuation: “Our company employs highly qualified specialists who have undergone special training.”

At all The qualifications of specialists do not indicate the level of service, unless your employees took courses on “How to lick a client.”

Take an example from the hotels for which they are designed international standards service. A person entering a three-star hotel already has a rough idea of ​​what awaits him: a room with an area of ​​at least 12 square meters. m, free bottled water, bathroom with towels, soap and toilet paper.

What can a client expect in your company?

Write to him how quickly the repair will be carried out or the goods will be delivered. Explain how the personal manager will work to solve his problem - step by step, from receiving the application to the result. Convince him that even after completing the order you are always ready to help.

Imagine calling a company about a large contract, and the sales representative replies, “We’re having lunch, call us later.” And hangs up. Will you call him back or find another supplier?

If the company's employees are not polite and friendly, your “high level of service” is worthless.

What can your employees do?

And if you want to boast about the professionalism of your employees, tell us about them separately: where they received their qualifications, how long they have been working in their specialty and what they can do.

Individual approach

This expression has not convinced potential customers for a long time, it is so hackneyed. Most often, they simply don’t notice him, and if they do, they grin skeptically, mentally saying “well, well, of course.”

Don't believe me? Look through the websites of your competitors - in 99 cases out of 100 you will find this phrase, if not on the “About the Company” page, then on some other page.

Replace general phrases with specific information.

List point by point everything you rely on when developing a project or completing an order. Explain what you mean by the concept of “individual approach”.

Surely put fulfilling the customer’s wishes first. But you understand that others are doing the same thing. Agree, it’s hard to imagine a designer who makes a red kitchen for clients who dream of a green one.

Show HOW you fulfill customer desires

Write, what is included in your system of relationships with customers →

• How do you satisfy the needs of each client depending on the specifics of the tasks assigned to them. What exactly do you take into account when developing a project or completing an order?

• What additional terms of cooperation can you include in a standard contract at the client’s discretion: different payment schemes, individual discounts, delivery, assembly.

• How broad are the powers of the client who wishes to participate in the process or observe it with the possibility of adjustment. At what point are wishes no longer accepted?

Low prices and/or great deals

Another “nothing” stamp. And if you consider that not only low, but also high prices can drive sales with equal success, then this advantage becomes completely useless.

Are you trying to attract customers with low prices? Don't do that!

Instead of empty words use honest numbers.

For example: we offer Scandinavian-style kitchens at prices starting from 20,000 rubles per square meter; the basic package includes standard sections, a countertop, a sink, and a dish dryer.

Or: in January we are reducing the cost of the “Chicardos” collection by 30% - when ordering a kitchen 3 meters long, you save 25,000 rubles.

Most often, companies that have nothing else to attract a client say about low prices. Don't deny the buyer minimum math skills. Believe me, he will do a great job of comparing prices on his own.

When choosing a product, the buyer compares several alternative (not identical!) options:

• wooden houses - with brick and aerated concrete
• white gold jewelry - with silver and platinum
• facial mesotherapy - with sculptural massage and plasma lifting.

Make a comparison table, based on the results of which your proposal wins as the safest, fastest to achieve, durable (warm, prestigious, comfortable - select the advantages of your product or service). And then the price will fade into the background.

Wide range

These 18 characters without spaces will only become an advantage when the client sees them as a solution to their problems →

Decipher what gives a wide range

• Possibility of choosing from a specific product range. You can offer dozens or even hundreds of gold rings, but the buyer is interested in a specific size. And if it is not on the display of the online store, for the client the slogan about the richness of the assortment will remain nothing. An initially loyal visitor will go to competitors next time so as not to be disappointed again.

• Opportunity to purchase related products- a lid for the frying pan, a brush for collecting animal hair - for the vacuum cleaner, wipes for cleaning the screen - for the monitor. This is beneficial for both parties. The client buys everything in one place and saves on delivery, the seller increases profits by 5-15%.

• Possibility to order a turnkey service. When you talk about a company's wide range of services, list them. Indicate which of them you provide separately and which ones only as a package. For example, consulting company performs naming exclusively as part of a multi-stage company registration service, while assistance in preparing documents may be outside its scope.

Often a list of useless benefits is posted in the “About Us” section. Already fixed it? Great! Now check whether you have used all the ways to persuade customers on the “About” page. Look into the arguments that hit the mark.

And admit in the comments, do you often have professional professionals with an individual approach working in your companies? 😉

About the author.

Honestly, competitive advantages- This is a topic to which I have an ambivalent attitude. On the one hand, rebuilding a company from competitors in the market is a very interesting task. Especially when the company, at first glance, is like everyone else and does not stand out in anything special. On this issue I have a principled position. I am convinced that any business can be rebuilt, even if it is one of a thousand and trades at prices above the market average.

Types of competitive advantages

Conventionally, all competitive advantages of any organization can be divided into two large groups.

1. Natural (price, terms, delivery conditions, authority, clients, etc.)
2. Artificial (personal approach, guarantees, promotions, etc.)

Natural benefits have more weight, because they represent factual information. Artificial advantages are more of a manipulation, which, if used correctly, can greatly strengthen the first group. We will return to both groups below.

Now comes the fun part. Even if a company considers itself to be the same as everyone else, inferior to competitors in terms of prices and believes that it does not stand out in any way, it still has natural advantages, plus, it can be made artificial. You just need to spend a little time finding them and formulating them correctly. And this is where it all starts with competitive analysis.

Competitive analysis that doesn't exist

Do you know what is the most amazing thing about Runet? 80-90% of businesses do not conduct competitive analysis and do not highlight the company’s advantages based on its results. That’s all, but what you have enough time and energy in most cases to do is look at your competitors and tear off some elements from them. That's the whole setup. And it is here that clichés grow by leaps and bounds. Who do you think was the first to coin the phrase “Young and dynamically developing company”? It doesn't matter. Many took it and... Quietly adopted it. On the quiet. In the same way, clichés appeared:

• Individual approach
• Highly qualified professionalism
• High quality
• First class service
• Competitive prices

And many others, which in fact are not competitive advantages. If only because no company in its right mind would say that its employees are amateurs, and the quality is a little worse than none.

I am generally surprised by the attitude of some businessmen. If you talk to them, everything “somehow” works for them, orders “somehow” go through, there is a profit - and okay. Why invent, describe and count something? But as soon as things start to get tough, that’s when everyone remembers marketing, differentiation from competitors, and the company’s advantages. It is noteworthy that no one is counting the money that was lost due to such a frivolous approach. But this is also profit. Could be...

In 80-90% of cases, Runet businesses do not conduct competitive analysis and do not show the company’s advantages to their clients.

However, there is a positive side to all this. When no one shows their advantages, it’s easier to rebuild. This means it’s easier to attract new customers who are searching and comparing.

Competitive advantages of products (products)

There is another serious mistake that many businesses make when formulating benefits. But here it is worth mentioning right away that this does not apply to monopolists. The essence of the mistake is that the client is shown the advantages of the product or service, but not the company. In practice it looks like this.

That is why it is very important to correctly place emphasis and bring to the fore the benefits and emotions that a person receives and experiences when working with the organization, and not from purchasing the product itself. I repeat, this does not apply to monopolists who produce a product that is inextricably linked with them.

Main competitive advantages: natural and artificial

It's time to return to the varieties of benefits. As I already said, they can be divided into two large groups. Here they are.

Group No. 1: natural (actual) benefits

Representatives of this group exist on their own, as a fact. Only many people don’t write about them. Some think it’s obvious, others because they hide behind corporate clichés. The group includes:

Price- one of the strongest competitive advantages (especially when there are no others). If your prices are lower than those of your competitors, write how much. Those. not “low prices”, but “prices 20% below market prices”. Or “Wholesale prices to retail”. Numbers play a key role, especially when you work in the corporate segment (B2B).

Timing (time). If you are delivering goods from today to today, say so. If you deliver to remote regions of the country in 2-3 days, tell us about it. Very often the issue of delivery times is very acute, and if you have thoroughly worked out logistics, then write specifically where and for how much you can deliver the goods. Again, avoid abstract clichés like “fast/prompt delivery.”

Experience. If your employees are keen on what you sell and know all the ins and outs of your business, write about it. Buyers love working with professionals they can consult with. In addition, when purchasing a product or service from an experienced seller, customers feel more secure, which brings them closer to purchasing from you.

Special conditions. If you have any special delivery conditions (deferred payment, postpayment, discounts, presence of a showroom, geographic location, wide warehouse program or assortment, etc.). Anything that competitors don’t have will do.

Authority. Certificates, diplomas, diplomas, major clients or suppliers, participation in exhibitions and other evidence that increase the significance of your company. The status of a recognized expert is a great help. This is when company employees speak at conferences, have a well-promoted YouTube channel, or give interviews in specialized media.

Narrow specialization. Imagine that you have a Mercedes car. And in front of you are two workshops: a specialized service that deals only with Mercs, and a multidisciplinary one that repairs everything from UAZs to tractors. Which service will you contact? I bet the first one, even if it has higher prices. This is one of the types of unique selling proposition (USP) - see below.

Other actual benefits. For example, you may have a wider range of products than your competitors. Or a special technology that others do not have (or that everyone has, but which competitors do not write about). Anything can happen here. The main thing is that you have something that others don’t have. As a fact. This also constitutes your USP.

Group No. 2: artificial advantages

I especially love this group because it helps a lot in situations where the customer’s company does not have any advantages as such. This is especially true in the following cases:

1. A young company, just entering the market, has no clients, no cases, no reviews. As an option, specialists leave a larger company and organize their own.
2. The company occupies a niche somewhere in the middle: it does not have a wide range, like large retail chains, and does not have a narrow specialization. Those. sells goods, like everyone else, at prices slightly above the market average.
3. The company has some adjustments, but it is the same as its competitors. Those. everyone in the niche uses the same actual advantages: discounts, experience, etc.

In all three cases, introducing artificial advantages helps. These include:

Added value. For example, you sell laptops. But you can't compete on price with a larger seller. Then you use a trick: install an operating system and a basic set of programs on your laptop, selling it a little more. In other words, you create added value. This also includes various promotions a la “Buy and Win...”, “When buying an apartment - a T-shirt as a gift”, etc.

Personal adjustment. It works great when everyone around is hiding behind corporate clichés. Its essence is that you show the face of the company (for example, the director) and involve. It works great in almost any niche: from selling children's toys to armored doors.

Responsibility. A very strong advantage that I actively use on my laboratory’s website. Combines perfectly with the previous point. People love to work with people who are not afraid to take responsibility for the products and/or services they sell.

Reviews. Provided they are real. The more authoritative the person who gives you feedback, the stronger impact on the audience (see trigger “ ”). Reviews on letterhead with a stamp and signature work better.

Demonstration. The best presentation is a demonstration. Let's say you have no other advantages. Or there are, but implicit. Make a clear presentation of what you are selling. If these are services, show how you provide them, make a video. At the same time, it is important to place the accents correctly. For example, if you check each product for functionality, tell us about it. And this will be an advantage for your company.

Cases. This is a kind of visual demonstration of solved problems (completed projects). I always recommend describing them because they work great for sales. But there are situations when there are no cases. This is especially true for young companies. Then you can make so-called artificial cases. The idea is simple: do yourself or a hypothetical client a favor. As an option - to a real client on a mutual basis (depending on the type of services, if possible). This way you will have a case that you can show and demonstrate your expertise.

Unique selling proposition. We have already talked about it a little higher. Its essence is that you enter some detail or disclose information that sets you apart from your competitors. Take me, for example. I provide copywriting services. But many specialists provide a wide range of copywriting services. And my USP is that I guarantee results expressed in numbers. Those. I work with numbers as an objective indicator of performance. And it's catchy. You can find out more about the USP in.

How to find and correctly describe the company's advantages

As I already said, I firmly believe that every company has its own advantages (and disadvantages, but that doesn’t matter now :)). Even if she is a strong middle peasant and sells everything like everyone else. And even if it seems to you that your company does not stand out in any way, the easiest way to understand the situation is to ask directly the clients who are already working with you. Be prepared that the answers may surprise you.

The easiest way to find out strengths For your company, ask your clients why they chose you.

Someone will say that they work with you because you are closer (geographically). Some will say that you inspire confidence, while others simply liked you. Collect and analyze this information and it will increase your profits.

But that's not all. Take a piece of paper and write down the strengths and weaknesses of your company. Objectively. Like in spirit. In other words, what you have and what you don’t have (or don’t have yet). At the same time, try to avoid abstractions, replacing them with specifics. Check out the examples.

Not all advantages can and should be written about on the same site. However, at this stage the task is to write down as many strong and weaknesses enterprises. This is an important starting point.

Take a pen and paper. Divide the sheet into two columns and write down the advantages of the company in one and the disadvantages of the company in the second. Maybe with a cup of coffee. Don’t look at the rowan tree, it’s just there for the ambiance.

Yes, we have, but this

Look at the examples:

Flaw	Turning into an advantage
Office on the outskirts	Yes, but the office and warehouse are in one place. You can see the product right away. Free parking even for trucks.
Price higher than competitors	Yes, but it comes with a rich package: a computer + an installed operating system + a set of basic programs + a gift.
Long delivery on order	Yes, but there are not only standard components, but also rare spare parts for individual orders.
Young and inexperienced company	Yes, but there is mobility, high efficiency, flexibility and the absence of bureaucratic delays (these points need to be discussed in detail).
Small assortment	Yes, but there is a specialization on the brand. More deep knowledge in it. The ability to advise better than competitors.

You get the idea. This gives you several types of competitive advantages:

1. Natural (factual information that you have that sets you apart from your competitors)
2. Artificial (amplifiers that also set you apart from competitors - guarantees, personal approach, etc.)
3. “Shifters” are disadvantages that are turned into advantages. They complement the first two points.

Little trick

I use this trick from time to time, when it is not possible to fully show off my strengths, as well as in a number of other cases when I need something more “weighty”. Then I don’t just write the company’s advantages, but combine them with the benefits that the client receives from the product or service. It turns out to be a kind of “explosive mixture”.

See what this looks like in practice.

• Was: Experience 10 years
• Became: Budget savings of up to 80% due to 10 years of experience

Or another example.

• Was: Low prices
• Became: The price is 15% lower, plus a reduction in transport costs by 10% due to our own fleet of vehicles.

You can learn in detail about how to correctly form benefits from.

Resume

Today we looked at the types of main competitive advantages of a company and, using examples, we looked at how to formulate them correctly. At the same time, it is important to understand that everything that we did today should by default be included in competitive strategy(if it is being developed). In other words, everything will work better when linked into a single system.

I really hope that the information in this article will expand your capabilities and allow you to conduct competitive analysis more effectively. In turn, if you have any questions, ask them in the comments.

I'm sure you will succeed!