When I consult with leaders of health departments and mental health centers I often hear the same things such as, “We’re different….” Or “Marketing our services is impossible….”. I tell these new customers not to worry because virtually everyone I have helped felt that way in the beginning.

It doesn’t matter what you offer or to whom you offer it, the real question is why don’t your prospects know about your services? Is it because you don’t believe it is important to make them aware you exist?

Most of the time it is simply a matter of not knowing what to do or not having proven examples to follow. When you have a step-by-step system of educating the community and stakeholders in place, it truly becomes a matter of doing the “behaviors” every day that get results. It becomes automatic, almost machine like…

Your USP and why it’s important

If you’ve read my book, Selling Public Health or attended one of my workshops you know how important it is to develop your own Unique Selling Proposition. Sometimes it is as simple as creating a fresh new brand on an old image.

At risk of dating myself, one birthday back in the 1970’s I received a cassette tape player from my parents. Cassette players had been around for a long time and my three older brothers all had different types of their own. This one was totally different. It was bright yellow with rounded corners and a space-age tinted door that the tape slid into to play.

It wasn’t any better that the ones my brothers had and sounded the same. What was different was the design or (redesign) was so unique and modern that I enjoyed looking at it as much as listening to it!

Why not sit down and redesign your agency? Consider rounding off corners, redefining what you do for your community. Why would someone come to you for services that they can get elsewhere? How can you create a new USP that removes the fear or stigma in their minds and leaves your prospects lining up to contact you?

You are not different and marketing your agency is not impossible, it is vital to your existence!