Below is an email that I originally sent to our clients and prospective clients at Spotlight Branding. I wanted to share it on this blog as well – I hope it’s helpful!
[Poolside in Orlando]
So I’m sitting by the hotel pool in Orlando. I’m here for a marketing conference featuring Dan Kennedy and we’re on break right now.
But I’m writing this post right now with a lesson that has nothing to do with the actual conference itself.
Last night I flew from Charlotte to Orlando. I flew into Orlando-Sanford airport, which is a smaller regional airport. It worked better for my schedule than the main airport. But it’s about 30 miles from my hotel so I needed ground transportation.
Sanford airport has an interesting set-up. There’s a taxi stand, and then immediately next to it is the Uber pickup spot.
So I pulled up my app and checked the price for an Uber. $55 bucks.
Then I asked a taxi driver how much it would cost to get me to my hotel.
He was a nice guy, super friendly, but he obviously didn’t want to answer the question. Finally he did – $95.
I thanked him and then walked over to the Uber line.
As I left I heard him say to another driver “I wish we didn’t have to give them the price.”
In the five minutes I was there, I saw the scene repeat itself a handful of times.
There was a line for Uber drivers. No one got in a taxi.
The taxi drivers just stood there and watched it happen.
I know this isn’t a new dynamic. I’ve been Ubering for years and probably taken a taxi twice in that span.
But watching the action unfold side-by-side, and seeing how demoralized and helpless the taxi drivers were as it went down, really stuck with me last night. They’ve got kids to feed and bills to pay and they’re watching their livelihood go down the drain.
So there are a few marketing lessons here and one that’s especially important.
First. Don’t make it easy for clients to price shop. It was comically easy for me to compare prices. The taxi driver knew exactly what was going to happen but he couldn’t do anything about it. Don’t make it so easy.
Second. Don’t permit apples-to-apples comparison. Since there’s no real difference in the experience whether I take an Uber or a taxi, why would I pay 2x the price. How can you create a unique experience or a unique value proposition for clients?
Third. If you haven’t built a brand for yourself, you’re a commodity. This is the big one. Because there’s no difference between the Uber or the taxi, I’m choosing the cheaper option 100% of the time. And so was everyone else last night. What other reasons, beyond cost, can you give for clients to hire you?
Fourth. This is bigger than you. I think that the reason this stuck with me is because the emotions of the taxi driver were obvious last night. He’s depending on his income and others are depending on him as well. His company leadership and his industry failed him in a big way. And now he’s probably worrying about paying the bills and feeding his kids.
Who’s depending on you?
What are you going to do to build a brand for yourself instead of becoming a commodity?
How can you make your price irrelevant to prospective clients?
We can help you with some of this. Click here to request your Discovery Call.
But whether you engage us or not, please give this some thought. The legal market is changing. It’s easier for people to find cheap legal help than it’s ever been. Don’t be that taxi driver.
-Daniel Decker
Partner
Spotlight Branding