What’s your 20%?

If you look at all the agencies in TAB, I’d say they’re about 80% indistinguishable.

We design and build websites. We offer ongoing care. We try out best to keep clients happy. We price things as best as we can.

And there are thousands of us all trying to survive.

So how in hell is a client supposed to know to choose you, when you seem mostly the same as all the alternatives.

It’s not that different than choosing where to pick up a cup of coffee on your way to work. All of them have something hot, something cold, and an overpriced, microwaved sandwich.

But Starbucks leaned hard into convenience and branding — changing just the 20% of what a coffee shop does into a global empire. Your mom-and-pop spot can’t compete with that, so their 20% differentiator is the quirky mismatched mugs, and the same cashier they’ve had for 2 decades that knows every customer by name.

80% the same, but that 20% difference is what pulls you (the customer) in one direction or another.

Or take Peloton and Planet Fitness. Both aim at helping people stay fit (the 80%) — but Peleton decided to slap an iPad on a bike and call it bougie, while Planet Fitness painted everything bright colors and made it so cheap it would be more work to cancel than it’s worth.

Both of them found a loyal fanbase — not by being completely unique, but by going all-in on that 20% that makes them different than their competitor.

What’s your 20%?

Maybe it’s the way you cater to nonprofits or show up and support every local event in your hometown. Maybe it’s your process, your style, or your white-glove experience.

Whatever it is, I’d start putting maximum effort into making it as obvious and clear as possible.

Sure, we’re kind of talking about niching here… but thinking about it as the 80/20 split makes it a whole lot less overwhelming, doesn’t it?

You don’t have to tear everything down and start from scratch. Chances are, your 20% is already there — it’s just waiting for you to plant your flag and own it. Because when you go all-in on what makes you different, the right clients will know exactly why they are choosing you over any of the thousands of other options.