Questions

Hi there - thanks for asking this question! (I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner - but I hope this late answer adds something to your journey).

First off, about 2 years ago I was shopping for a sit-to-stand desk, and the only ones I found were in the $1,000 to $2,000 range, and offered either online or via Relax the Back stores in the US.

SO - 1st off, if the desk is decent quality and works well - I want to know more about it for myself!

Next, there are a # of ways to add value to your value proposition, or create something so compelling that it stands out completely from the crowd.

Color - think of what apple did with the iphone, but also look at what timberland is doing with their custom Boat Shoes - you pick a color and they build it to suit, with 3 or 4 colors per shoe (tongue, uppers, laces, etc). There is no push on quality besides the basic standard of excellence players like Sebago and Timberland offer in this space - but Timberland just differentiated themselves big time (I think J. Crew offers some custom shoe colors as well).

Packaging - check out a case of Diet Pepsi - and the accompanying ads to go with it. Have you noticed that now the plastic wrapper on a case has pictures of cans (stacked like they actually are inside) with names on them? Dad? Buddy? BFF? Rock Star? We have one in the office, and I keep walking by and reading it. If I'm in a beverage store and I walk by a plain case from another vendor and that one, I will definitely give it a second look. Dell has done the same thing - I bought an XPS 12.5" Ultrabook, and the packaging was so nice it made me not want to open the thing!

Now: you might say - shoot! That's dumb. It's a desk - how does packaging matter or be seen?

My father had a manufacturing plant that delivered high-end woodworking products to big clients like Disney and Citibank. Other firms just wrapped their high end casework in white or clear plastic wrap. Dad? He got colored custom duct tape with the business name, full contact and customer service #'s, logo, etc. It served a double duty: if something was wrong, the install crew could just look at the tape and make a call to get an issue resolved - instead of having to hunt for the #.

Surfaces - the Dell XPS Ultrabook has silicon surfaces that are WAY cool to touch. And the touchpad was easily the best i tried, not to mention the curved keys that fit my fingertips well. Now - I am 6'3" and have big mitts - but I bought this anyway even though the keyboard is small because I enjoyed the way it felt.

Audi has done the same thing with their "Open Pore Walnut" and wood trims on the A6, A8 and others. It feels great - not shiny and slick but like real wood - and almost makes you want to pet your dash. As a woodworker's son - i can tell you - wood and surfaces can have textures that are anything from cold and annoying to grittily disturbing to luxurious. Can your manufacturer do anything with the surface to make it feel better?

Flashing, Edges and Trim - again, in the world of furniture (dad was in that business too) - there are many small ways to build in expensive looking features. Small inlays, custom trim colors (edging on the desk top that has a color people can choose - say for an extra $29 they get custom colors - who wouldn't want to personalize their desks?) How about changing the color of the legs - platinum, enameled white, checkered, etc. Could your manufacturer do that?

Ask your customers - 'Why did you buy this? What makes it better and different from the other options you considered? How would you describe this desk to others - and it's uniqueness?' I have never, ever ever interviewed a client's customers and had the customer tell me the exact same thing that the client said they would. There are gold nuggets in there. Magic words. Stories. "I love my sit-stand desk because it's compact and I can put it next to the regular desk - they couldn't re-do my workspace since I live in cubicle land but this is compact and elegant enough that I don't mind leaving it off to the far end of my uber-cubicle." That was my situation.

Messaging- one of the really powerful ways to differentiate your desk can be how you DESCRIBE it. Remember Audi's open-pore wood example above? European car manufacturers have been putting wood into dashes for 50 years. This is the 1st time I have ever heard of 'open-pore wood,' and remember - I'm a cabinetmaker's son.

John Deere is great at marketing their smaller tractors to the newly wealthy set who now have 'grounds' to take care of. Automatic transmission? It's called 'e-Hydro.' AutoStart, PowerReverser, etc.

Could you use the terminology of your industry? And stand out that way? Instead of 'filtered,' 'mild,' 'menthol' or whatever options existed, Lucky Strike chose to describe their tobacco as 'It's toasted.' Sounds fun, right? (Secret: all tobacco is cured in a toasting oven. But only Lucky Strike describes it!)

How about Roger Ailes fantastic victory of positioning when he joined Fox from CBS. He described their news offering as "Fair and Balanced' (which if you watch it - to me swings very conservative and Republican). Leslie Moonvies, President of CBS is supposed to have called Roger to complain and say 'What are you saying about us?'

Roger Ailes' response? 'It's not my problem that you were in the business for 30 years and never thought to say it that way.'

SPEED OF DELIVERY: could you offer a 48-hour no-risk delivery? When I was looking for a sit-stand desk, I was in so much agony the thought of going to stores and trying something out was painful in itself. Could you offer an 'Oh my aching back RUSH service' (messaged better than that) with an 800# folks could call for relief? You could advertise it through Pay Per Click and see what kind of traffic it generated as a test...

Custom Tops - what if I could get a different top made? Maybe I like Burled Walnut (super expensive), or Cherry, or Birch or Beech? Maybe my HR or facilities person will only support me purchasing and leaving in my office that matches the other furniture, at least in part. Could you offer this?

A Free Telephone Ergonomic Consult - why not have them send a photo of their work area, and desk, and you give them some advice? You could upsell other items along with the desk (wireless keyboards, speech rec software that allowed typing by talking, back chairs, etc.) Most folks in need of a sit-stand desk either have a painful need that extends beyond just the desk, or an interest in these kind of things.

Partnering with Chiropractors and letting them sell them as a private-label or other offering: why not go to Chiropractors and offer them the opportunity to buy this at 15-20% over cost and then resell it? Sell them a sample to put in their office at cost, and create a custom STICKERED TOP that had the 800#, ordering information, and a discount for any patient of 'Dr. XYZ.' Talk about people in need of a sit-stand desk???!! Where do I sign!

I hope these are helpful to you. Feel free to reach out as well. I have a Secret Sauce / Differentiation scorecard I would be happy to send you (no cost).

My best,
Steve


Answered 10 years ago

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