Don't go in flashing the certifications and vendor logos because that reduces you to a commodity. Sure, they can be part of your background information and something you can talk about, but don't lead with that-you are IT specialists. Concentrate on marketing and selling YOUR brand and the unique industry-specific value that your firm brings to the table.

Filling Unfulfilled Needs

Another great way to differentiate yourself is to find an underserved local niche and dominate it. How do you find these local niches and dominate them? It's a matter of just asking around.

Where to Find Your Industry Twist

When you're out at chamber meetings or the Rotary, talking to prospects, or going to B2B expos, look around for a big problem that's going unfulfilled. All of a sudden, a light bulb will go off one day and you say wow, I can't believe no one thought of that first! So if you can think of a solution and there are enough people in the area who need it, it's a really easy way to differentiate yourself as IT specialists.

IT Specialists: You and Your Clients May Not Agree on Problems

Be sure, however, that you're not selling solutions to problems that people don't think they have. Do you really want to talk someone into data security if they don't understand why data security is important? That is not to say that you shouldn't spend some time educating your prospects and your future clients about IT security.

But if you're there for a half hour and they just don't seem to get it, or they're really stubborn, or they're just throwing up all these kinds of barriers, don't you think that there's someone down the street, or someone else that you ought to be talking to who does get it? Don't try to sell solutions to problems that people don't think they have.

IT Specialists: Know Your Competition

Make sure you also know your local competition reasonably well. Look around; study the four or five big competitors of yours. It's as simple as looking at their Web sites and brochures to see what other competitors are doing. Figure out if they all look the same, then you have a pretty good idea of what you need to do differently as an IT specialist.

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