In a crowded market for services, excellence isn’t enough to win clients. You need to be seen as clearly better than all other options, the obvious choice. That’s what it means to be the “standout option”.
Being perceived as the standout option has a powerful influence on how clients behave. It shapes their decisions, sensitivity to pricing, and long-term loyalty, all of which directly impact your revenue and profit margin.
An example
Jane lives in Sydney and is searching for a local accounting firm to help her small business. She searches Google Maps and finds over 20 nearby firms. She narrows them down to five.
All five have good Google reviews. But one firm stands out: let's call it XYZ & Co. Their website features a strong guarantee that the others don’t. They also specialise in her industry. Jane thinks, “This is exactly what I need.”
She contacts them. They impress her even more by offering extras that aren’t mentioned on the site, and they clearly understand her industry. Their fees are higher than those of the others, and the travel time is longer, but it doesn’t matter. Jane stops searching. She wants XYZ & Co.
Jane sees XYZ as the standout option. For her, the choice is obvious.
XYZ is in an enviable position. It attracts ideal clients, avoids high-pressure selling, and charges above-average fees.
The problem with being one of many
Now imagine you’re one of the five firms on Jane’s shortlist, but there is no standout option. You sound excellent, but so do the other four. From Jane’s perspective, you are interchangeable. It's hard to pick one over another.
This happens every day in professional services. The consequences are significant:
- If you’re one of five equally appealing options, your best chance of being chosen is only 20%, and that's if the prospect actually makes a decision. In reality, it could be lower than 10%.
- If you are one of ten or more, many prospects won’t bother comparing that many options. They might opt for the cheapest option or delay making a decision. That’s what it’s like to be treated as a commodity.
Cognitive science tells us that people struggle to compare more than five to seven options at once. Beyond that, the brain simplifies. It defaults to superficial comparisons, such as price, location, or familiarity.
But the impact is worse than losing the sale. Being one of many also affects how prospects treat you.
The cost of being just another option
As a undifferentiated business, you are more likely to experience:
- Pricing pressure: Prospects focus on cost instead of value.
- Disrespect: Sadly, some people will feel they can ignore you, miss meetings, or treat you dismissively.
- Weaker long-term loyalty: If clients see you as replaceable, they’re at risk of leaving when a better offer comes along.
Everything changes when you’re the standout option
Clients and prospects treat you differently when you’re seen as the standout option:
- They engage seriously and respectfully.
- They don’t need to be persuaded.
- They’re less price sensitive.
- They make decisions faster.
- They’re more likely to remain loyal.
Your marketing becomes more effective too because your messaging clicks with the right people.
The takeaway
Being the standout option is a strategic advantage. When your firm is seen as the obvious choice, everything gets easier:
- More leads become serious prospects.
- Sales feel more like conversations than persuasion.
- You can stop price matching to close sales.
- Clients stay longer and value the relationship more.
Before investing more in marketing, focus on making your business the standout option. It will transform how clients respond to you and how your business feels to run.
