Being paranoid is not a competitive advantage

Although we manage Google AdWords campaigns for companies like yours for a living, we’re not one of those outfits who’d claim you need us “because it’s all such a mysterious art”. That’d simply be untrue. A Google AdWords campaign is pretty straightforward to do, if you’ve got the time to learn. We sell our services on the fact that you can just hand over the campaign to us and walk away, spending the time on something which needs more of your attention. You might even find that it doesn’t cost any more than doing it yourself.

The reason I mention all this is that people sometimes say: “Why do you give tips on running AdWords campaigns here? Who gives away the tricks of the trade like that?”

And the answer, as I’m sure many of you know, is that everyone should give away the tricks of the trade. When people choose suppliers nowadays, the research they do can be way more detailed than it might have been twenty years ago. If a prospect wants a supplier who they can feel ‘safe’ with, they’re either going to opt for a name they’ve heard of, or somebody who can demonstrate clearly that they know what they’re doing. And this choice will often be made without any contact with the supplier at all – just a browse through their website.

So what’s on your website which reassures prospects that you know what you’re doing? Lots of detailed case studies? How-to guides, hints and tips? Or do you think that all you need is a single, unsubstantiated claim that you’re somehow “the leader in the field” (yawn)?

“But we can’t tell everyone how we do things”, whines the old-school sales director. Why not? Because the competition (which in reality is every bit as good as you) doesn’t know the basics of the technology in which you’re both involved, and might suddenly find out? Really? That’s daft, and we all know it.

“And we can’t publish case studies”, he continues. Oh yes, because all that’s keeping your customers loyal to you is that – luckily – they don’t know your competitors exist. Presumably they don’t have access to the web, read magazines or go to exhibitions. Yeah, that’ll be it.

Oh, and just as fortunately, your competitors don’t know that the customer exists either. What a relief.

Seriously? Your products or services are so poor that the only way to stay in business is to imagine your customers never compare you to anyone else, and that nobody else ever approaches them either?

Your customers choose you because you’re better than the competition. Anyone wanting a list of competitive Google AdWords management services is welcome to ask for one. I have it here.