Why "We're Different" Isn't Differentiating (And What Actually Is)

For business owners tired of sounding like everyone else

"We provide personalized service."

"We care about quality."

"We go above and beyond for our clients."

"We're not like other consultants in our space."

Sound familiar?

Walk through any industry website and you'll see the same "differentiators" repeated over and over. Every business thinks they're different, and most of them say so using the exact same words.

Here's the problem: when everyone claims the same unique qualities, none of them actually stand out.

If you and your three closest competitors could swap value propositions and nobody would notice, you don't have a differentiation problem. You have a specificity problem.

Why Generic "Different" Doesn't Work

Let's be real about what happens when potential clients read "We provide personalized service" on your website:

What you think they hear: "Finally, someone who will actually pay attention to my unique needs!"

What they actually think: "Yeah, that's what the last guy said too."

Generic differentiation claims don't differentiate because:

They're unprovable - How do I know your service is actually more personalized?
They're forgettable - Nothing specific to remember or repeat to others
They're interchangeable - Any business could say the same thing

When your differentiation sounds like everyone else's differentiation, you're essentially asking customers to choose based on price, convenience, or gut feeling. And that's a much harder battle to win.

What Actually Differentiates

Real differentiation isn't about claiming you're different. It's about being so specific that only you could say it.

Specificity Over Generalities

Instead of: "We provide personalized service"
Try: "We only work with 8 clients at a time, so you get same-day responses and never feel lost in the shuffle"

Instead of: "We have extensive experience"
Try: "We've helped 47 SaaS companies navigate their first major compliance audit"

Instead of: "We understand your industry"
Try: "We only work with family-owned manufacturers who are planning succession in the next 5 years"

See the difference? The specific versions immediately tell you exactly what to expect and who this is for.

Process Over Promises

Don't tell me you "go above and beyond." Show me exactly how you handle situations differently.

Instead of: "We go above and beyond for our clients"
Try: "When your project hits a snag, you get a same-day call with three specific options and our recommendation, not a vague 'we'll figure it out' email"

Instead of: "We're thorough and detail-oriented"
Try: "Before we start any project, you get a 2-page summary of exactly what we heard you say, what we're going to do about it, and how you'll know it's working"

Specific processes are memorable. Generic promises are not.

Constraints Over Claims

Here's something counterintuitive: what you don't do can be more differentiating than what you do do.

Instead of: "We work with businesses of all sizes"
Try: "We only work with manufacturing companies with 50-200 employees who are tired of competing on price alone"

Instead of: "We offer comprehensive financial services"
Try: "We don't do taxes, day trading, or insurance sales. We only do retirement planning for people within 10 years of leaving corporate jobs"

When you're specific about who you don't serve or what you don't do, the right people think "Finally, someone who gets it."

The Hard Work That Comes First

Here's what most businesses miss: you can't systematize messaging around differentiation you haven't clearly identified.

Before you can create compelling brand voice guidelines, you need to do the hard thinking work:

Who do you actually serve best? (Be specific about their situation, not just demographics)
What do you do that others skip? (Your actual process, not your promises)
What don't you do? (Your constraints can be your greatest differentiator)
Why do your best clients choose you over alternatives? (In their words, not yours)

This isn't about crafting clever marketing copy. This is about getting brutally honest about what makes you genuinely different.

Most businesses skip this step and jump straight to polishing their messaging. But if you can't articulate your real differentiation in raw, unpolished language, no amount of wordsmithing will make you sound unique.

The Real Test

Here's how to know if your differentiation actually differentiates:

Could your competitor say the same thing? If yes, keep digging.

Would someone be able to repeat this to a friend? If no, it's too generic and forgettable.

Does this make some people think "not for me"? If no, it's not specific enough. You aren't for everyone.

Real differentiation makes some people say "definitely not for me" and others say "this is exactly what I need." If everyone thinks you might be a fit, you're probably not clearly a fit for anyone.

Making the Shift

Stop trying to appeal to everyone and start being indispensable to someone specific.

The goal isn't to convince everyone you're amazing. The goal is to make it obvious to the right people that you're exactly what they need.

But here's the thing: once you get clear on what genuinely differentiates you, you still need to communicate it consistently across every touchpoint. That's where systematic brand voice work comes in.

When you know your real differentiators in raw language, you can build messaging guidelines that help you express that uniqueness consistently—whether you're writing website copy, social posts, proposals, or having sales conversations.

The Bottom Line

Generic differentiation is white noise. Specific differentiation is a signal.

If your messaging could work for any business in your industry, it's not working for your business. But the path to specific, memorable messaging starts with getting clear on what actually makes you different—not just polishing the words you use to describe it.

Do the hard thinking work first. Figure out your genuine constraints, processes, and ideal client specifics in plain language. Then systematize how you communicate that uniqueness.

Ready to transform clear differentiation into consistent brand voice? Once you know what genuinely makes you different, The Brand Voice Blueprint helps you systematically build messaging guidelines that express that uniqueness consistently across every piece of communication. But the clarity has to come first.