If you want to stand out and be remembered, you need to be doing something different.

Typically when we think about differentiation we think about “big difference” – our value proposition, niche and service offers. But often that “big difference” doesn't actually make any difference to our day to day lives.

We disappear off to a retreat, brainstorm our difference, update our website, then move on and keep doing the same old things we did before.

Usually what makes the biggest impact on clients and potential clients isn't what we say about how we're different. It's what we do differently.

It's the little stuff we do every day they notice. This episode of More Clients TV explains how.

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Everyday Difference: How to Differentiate Through the Little Things You Do

All of us operate in pretty crowded marketplaces.

Whether you're a marketing consultant, a sales trainer, a leadership coach or any kind of service provider there are thousands of other businesses who say they do the same thing as you and say they get the same results as you.

From our perspective, we might feel that we're very different. But to clients we often all look the same.

We make the same promises. Offer the same services. We all say we're different but they see very little difference in practice.

But if we want clients to notice us and to remember us when it comes to thinking of someone to hire, that difference is crucial. if they can't see how we're different to our competitors they have no chance of remembering us as the person they want to work with.

This is why marketing experts pay so much attention to differentiation and urge you to think deeply about it and come up with a USP or Value Proposition and offers that make you stand out from the crowd.

And while this is vitally important as it infuses all of your marketing, my experience is that there's something that often has a much bigger impact on whether our clients see us as being different.

It's how we interact with them day-in, day out.

It's the little differences that they actually experience that make the biggest impression on their perception, rather than any claims we might make on our website or marketing materials.

And those little differences are things we often overlook in the rush to just get things done day-to-day.

Little differences like sending a personal video instead of just rushing off yet another email. Or sending a letter through the post. Or maybe even a small parcel with a funny gift in it.

If you're posting content on LinkedIn, instead of just posting text or perhaps using a stock photo, use a meme. or a cartoon. Or a selfie of you making a funny face. Whatever media you use, look at what everyone else is doing and do something different.

If you're doing a presentation and everyone else is using facts and figures, tell a story. If everyone else is telling a story – which it seems that they are these days – major on facts and figures.

You can do this with just about any client interaction. Whenever you're about to reply or speak to someone, just think “how can I do this a little bit differently?”

You'll notice my videos these days all have a comic book feel to them with backgrounds and fonts.

That's deliberate.

It means the thumbnails stand out amongst other thumbnails on YouTube.

It means if someone enjoys one my videos, they'll be able to recognise in an instant when they see another video from me and tune in.

It means in 6 months time when they're perhaps thinking of buying some training on getting more clients, I'll stick out in their mind and be more memorable than someone else whose videos look more “professional” (ie forgettable).

The more you can do in every interaction to help clients and potential clients remember you, the more likely you are to be the person they think of when they're about to buy something.

Because no matter how great your insights. No matter how brilliant your work. If you don't spring to mind at that crucial moment when potential clients are thinking of hiring someone, then it counts for nothing.