It’s easy to get pigeonholed by customers, contacts or even your colleagues.  You do a good job at one thing, or supply one specific product and service well, and then become synonymous with it.

While it’s good to have built a reputation, it doesn’t make commercial sense if this reflects just a small fraction of all of your capabilities, products or service range. This can be particularly frustrating when loyal customers head elsewhere for a specialism you have, not realising you had it in the first place.

The challenge is to increase understanding of your whole product/service/expertise range and encourage people to utilise the full scope of what you can offer. But how do you achieve that in an environment where people are more risk-averse, time-poor, and overwhelmed by the current overload of ‘marketing’ and ‘sales’ messaging already?

Here we provide the key steps to help you break free of your pigeonhole.

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Help them take little steps

It is worth bearing in mind that using someone else for a service or product, even if you have used them before for a different offering, still carries some risk.

To lower the risk and motivate your customers, colleagues, or contacts to try this new approach, make the steps they need to follow simple, manageable, and as risk-free as possible.

For example…

• Use your conversations with people to discover other ways you can add value, support, and help them. When suitable, begin with affordable solutions that are easy for them to agree to
• Identify small, low-cost add-ons to what they’ve bought before, so they get comfortable buying other elements from you.
• Offer tasters or samples of other relevant areas of your offering so they can trial or review these before committing.
• Map out products/services in your offering which complement each other. Consider creating bundles or packages around them that offer people greater benefits.

The less effort this all takes on their part, the more readily they’ll agree.

Be more vocal

Broadening people’s perceptions of your full capabilities doesn’t come from a one-off conversation or having a list of services on your website or social media profile.  It comes from ongoing positioning and subtle nudging on the different things you do and, more importantly, how you help other people.

For example…

• Articulate current issues you have resolved for people – use your online presence via your website, social media posts, e-newsletters, and conversations to reiterate these.
• When doing this, emphasise the challenges, issues, or opportunities that those customers and contacts faced so people can more easily identify with how you help.
• Use the vocabulary your clients use for the issues you solve, not your own. Avoid industry or professional jargon and acronyms. Instead, discuss the specific experiences they are facing and how you assist.
• Always make the most of celebrating and communicating success stories as they happen, as they highlight your broader offering.
• Build a collection of case studies (short videos tend to attract more engagement than written content) and share these on your website and social media.

Reassure

Social proof is a powerful tool. People feel reassured reading about others who’ve used you before and have benefited as a result. Show that you’re a business or person who can indeed be trusted.

For example…

• Encourage positive reviews and testimonials for your least used products, services, and expertise on social media, Google, or review sites important in your sector.
• Offer to introduce them to other satisfied customers who have used the aspect of your business offering they are unfamiliar with and can provide a reference or reassurance.
• Go for awards in your lesser-known product/service/expertise areas. Even being shortlisted will help boost people’s confidence in your approach and credibility.

Be timely

We all recognise that ongoing change is unavoidable in business nowadays. It’s possible that one aspect of your offering becomes less popular during certain seasons or circumstances. Similarly, another area of your expertise may suddenly become highly relevant and in demand, making it hard to keep up. Always keep an eye on what elements of your offering are ‘of the moment’ or have the potential to be.

Be willing to adapt – if necessary, consider repackaging or renaming a product, service, or expertise to be more relevant to the present. And when you do, let everyone know about it. By monitoring what’s happening in your market and emerging trends, you can do this effectively.

Keep at it

Breaking out of your pigeonhole requires continuous effort. It doesn’t happen through a single campaign. Instead, it involves consistently showing people you are more than they once thought.

It’s also not about one-way broadcasts either. Having a genuine interest in people and understanding the challenges and opportunities they face will enable you to subtly and consistently find ways to offer further and relevant support.

The less risky that support is to accept, the more likely they’ll soon appreciate the full offering you provide… and say yes.

Can we help?

If you need any help to broaden people’s perceptions of what your business offering can help them with, please get in touch or or tel. 01483 429111.

This article replaces our 2021 version and has been updated for modern times.