Disruptive. Insightful. Client-led. Strategic.

"We really take the time to understand your brand". "Our team is more like a family". "We always challenge the brief". "Our unrivalled expertise".

I just found at least a dozen of each of those in the last 5 minutes.

They might all be true. It barely matters. Your prospects (unless they're a hot referral) don't believe you. True differentiation is hard. Uniqueness is near impossible. And so it goes that your claims are weakened. So, how can you stand out in a crowded market?

Simple. Act exactly as you claim, consistently. From the first interaction, your prospects are judging you.

Respond to emails immediately, even if it's just a brief acknowledgement. Don't keep potential leads waiting while you craft the perfect response. Promptness and attentiveness always surpass ornate but delayed replies.

Avoid jargon. Nobody is impressed by it. Your complex, trademarked processes with fancy names have no place when engaging with unfamiliar audiences.

Use plain English to describe what you do and how your work achieves commercial objectives. Avoid flowery paragraphs and analogies that make visitors close your website.

Ask straightforward questions. During early discussions, don't assume prospects will guide you. It's your responsibility, not theirs.

In the initial stages, don't give prospects reasons to exclude you. Swearing isn't edgy; it's off-putting. Boasting about being picky with clients makes you sound foolish to new contacts. Funny videos and personal anecdotes have no place in these early, exclusory phases. Focus on value.

Be the agency that understands the prospect's desired commercial outcomes. Emphasize your ability to contribute to those goals. Describe your methods concisely. Ask intelligent, simple questions, and show genuine interest in the answers. Respond swiftly to emails and messages. When possible, answer the phone promptly. By doing these things, you'll belong to a small but distinguished group. Not entirely unique, but far more differentiated than those who merely claim to be disruptive, strategic, client-led, and unrivalled. Ugh.

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