Don't trust that little voice inside you that, when you see someone whose elevator pitch sounds similar or someone who at first glance provides the same service to the same audience, starts screaming.
- "Oh no! Someone else does what you do! Now you'll never be successful!"
- "Bitch, she's doing the same damn thing you're trying to do, and she's probably way better."
- "If she's serving the same audience, there's no way I'll do the kind of business I want to do at the level I want."
There are so many problems with what that voice is saying.
1. WE LIVE IN AN ABUNDANT UNIVERSE.
You've probably heard others say it and I will too. There are plenty of "needy" people (your ideal clients with needs to be served) out there to go around. You just need to be on your game, consistently getting visible.
2. IF YOU LOOK DEEPER INTO THAT PERSON'S SITE AND SOCIAL PRESENCE, YOU'LL PROBABLY FIND DIFFERENCES.
Just today I saw someone whose elevator pitch was "I'm a marketing coach/consultant/speaker/etc who serves coaches but I also find myself working with passionpreneurs in other fields...." Sounds a bit similar to my general pitch of "I'm a marketing coach and consultant building marketing systems for coaches and consultants." But when I dove deeper, checking out her website, I realized that she's not serving the exact audience I'm serving. Her clients tend to be older women (because she herself is middle-aged) and her website looks like it's barely been touched since the 90s. I knew after taking this all in that we don't serve the same people; I work with coaches and consultants who tend to be younger (20-35) and they value a beautifully designed, super contemporary website. I left her site feeling like there's totally room for both of us to exist in this world and we're not at all in competition with each other, despite my initial concern that we were in direct competition.
3. TAKE IT AS A SIGN YOU NEED TO TWEAK YOUR MESSAGING.
OK, take the example in point #2 where I identified someone as a direct competitor because our pitches sounded essentially the same. Yes, I left her site feeling confident that we're not actually in competition, I also left it with the idea that I need to be more specific in my elevator pitch. I love finding contrast that indicates where I can improve! (Are you open to noticing or being shown where your business and marketing need improvement? You should welcome that always!)
Also keep in mind that your brain has a special part that -- like when you buy a new car and you seem to see that car everywhere -- will find more and more people who offer services or product similar to those you offer. Don't take that inner critic too seriously.
Rosella LaFevre is a Marketing Coach and Consultant who specializes in helping clients fill their service businesses with ideal clients by getting visible online. Currently, her VisiBiz VIP program is open to coaches and consultants who are ready to invest in their own chief marketing officer to set up and run their marketing. Follow her on Twitter or Like her Facebook Page.