Differentiation is a process of discovering what your business and its products can say that no one else can. Ease of use or customer service, for example, is what everyone says. The key to differentiation is to look for the Capo d’astro Bar.
In the sixties, a faltering piano company was looking for a way to increase sales. The problem was that the public perceived owning your own piano as grand luxury reserved for the rich and famous or the immensely musically talented.
The failing piano company hired a prominent copywriter to put together an ad. He was escorted into the client’s showroom by the National Sales Manager. In an elegant setting sat their pianos.
"They sure do look alike," he commented.
"They sure do. About the only real difference is the shipping weight-ours are heavier than the competition."
"Heavier?" The copywriter asked. "What makes yours heavier?"
"The Capo d'astro bar."
"What's a Capo d'astro bar?"
"Here, I'll show you. Get down on your knees."
Once under the piano the sales manager pointed to a metallic bar fixed across the harp and bearing down on the highest octaves. "It takes 50 years before the harp in the piano warps. That's when the Capo d'astro bar goes to work. It prevents that warping."
"You mean the Capo d'astro bar doesn’t do anything for 50 years?" he asked.
"Well, there's got to be some reason why the Met uses it," the sales manager casually added.
"Are you telling me that the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City uses this exact piano?"
"Sure. Their Capo d'astro bar should be working by now."
On the copywriter’s way out the sales manager added, "About the only thing the Met takes with them is their piano."
That quote was the headline of the first ad. The copywriter had found their key differentiator. Pianos weren’t for the rich and famous or even the immensely talented. They were family heirloom designed from the beginning to be passed down from generation to generation.
The point is, a key differentiator is something you can say that no one else can. Promote it and you’re unstoppable. Remember, no matter what the product or service, we promise you, the Capo d'astro bar is there—even if you have to look really close.
