What we can learn from Louboutin shoes

You know, the ones with the red soles

To stand out, you might think you need to show loads of value. 

In fact, there is such a thing as showing too much value. 

Rather than impressing your clients, a long list of high value items can overwhelm them and ultimately reduce your chance of standing out.

Research has shown that you are better off finding one thing that sticks in your clients’ minds. Which is where Christian Louboutin comes in.

Now I’m not up with the latest fashion trends, but even I know about ‘the expensive shoes with the red soles’. I’m certain there’s more to Louboutin shoes than just the soles - at £800 for a pair of sandals you’d hope so! - but much of the company’s success comes from a single distinctive feature. 

As amazing as the human brain is, it finds it much easier to remember one standout thing than a list of features… even when the longer list would be more useful. 

Which means you need to choose one - and only one - feature if you want to stand out in the minds of your clients. It sounds easy, but I know from experience it can be hard to not talk about the many great things you do.

It is also a challenge to decide which feature you choose to promote. What do you want to be most known for? To find the right answer, you need to step outside of your own head and put yourself in your clients’ shoes (red soles or not).

The reward for being clinical about which feature you talk about is greater awareness in your market, more inbound business, and a platform from which you can charge higher fees.

If you need help identifying what your one thing is, simply reply to this email and we can talk.

Jon

P.S. It’s a similar challenge to choosing your niche. With your recruitment skills, you are almost certainly able to fill roles across a range of sectors. But being seen as a generalist with a broader range can actually lose you business, with clients choosing to go with a highly focused competitor.

If you need help identifying what your one thing is, simply reply to this email and we can talk.