Differentiate = Good. Forgetting to think about your clients in the process = Bad

It’s a Saturday in Madisonville, TX. If you are on your way to Dallas from Houston, it’s is a good place to stop for a break. Madisonville is a typical small Texas town with a McDonalds (which is always busy) and local burger joint (which is rarely busy) and three brand name gas stations within walking distance to each other.

We know why the McDonalds is always busy. Travelers have a comfort level with the brand. They know they can pretty much count on this McDonalds being just like the last 100 they’ve ever been to. And they are correct! No surprises here. It’s familiar, efficient and the bathrooms are clean. The local burger joint probably has much better food and ambiance but we really don’t know and we’re not up for risking it so… we make the easy decision to go to McDonalds.

Now the gas stations are a more interesting story. All three are brand names — Shell, Exxon and Chevron. Shell and Chevron are on the corners and Exxon is next to Chevron just a stone’s throw away.

Since they all three have similar market share in the minds of most American travelers and Chevron and Shell locked up the “location, location, location” differentiator, poor Exxon was left to come up with another way to differentiate themselves and get some business.

Lots and lots of cars both getting gas and parked at the door for both Chevron and Shell. Exxon — not a car in sight.

I’m not sure how Exxon came to the point where they ended up. I’m guessing it wasn’t a bunch of suit and ties in a room tossing out big words like differentiation, client focus, brand management. No. Not for this strategy. This one looks more, well, I’m not sure.

They must have decided that their best bet was to appeal to the traveler who simply didn’t want to be bothered — by anyone or any thing. Who knows, maybe this is a good strategy considering their situation. This is probably one of those cases where the strategy was okay but the execution all wrong.

Anyway, take a look at the results of their efforts in carrying out this strategy. Now tell me, does this look like a place where you’d like to get out and spend your money? No. No it doesn’t. In fact, it looks like a place where if you did anything wrong, the owner would just shoot you on the spot.

Panoramic view of the Exxon station in Madisonville Texas

Welcome (not) sign seen from the road

And a couple more no no's at this gas station

Of course this is an extreme example of differentiation gone bad. Clearly, no one involved ever thought about how a customer might feel driving into this facility. This is such a blatant example of  internal focus we could not have made it up.

If you are angry with your clients, your business or your position in life, then maybe it’s time to get out of the business or seek help in changing your attitude. Just like it did for the owner of this Exxon, the universe has a way of giving you what you project. (A little added marketing therapy!)

Differentiating your business from others is probably the most effective and challenging thing you will do, but you will only be successful if you always keep your clients in mind. Always keep asking, “why / what.” “Why is what we do important to them, why do they buy what do they need what need do we fill, what pain do we ease….why why why, what what.

Well, I’m off to Shell!