MAGNT
Brand Strategy • Workshop

How to Differentiate Your Small Business (Without Competing on Price)

If your website sounds like everyone else (“quality service,” “great results”), you’ll get compared on price. This workshop helps you find a clear differentiator you can prove—and repeat everywhere.

Back to Brand Strategy Hub Do the positioning worksheet

Prefer the deep dive? Read the Competitive Differentiation Guide.

The “Only We” workshop (4 steps)

Set a 30–45 minute timer. Answer each step quickly. You can refine later.

Step 1
Pick your “primary customer” for 90 days
Differentiation is easier when you’re not trying to please everyone.

Prompts
  • Who is your best customer today (most profitable + easiest to serve)?
  • What kind of customer gets the best results with you?
  • Who refers you the most?
Output: A single sentence: “Our primary customer is ___.”

Step 2
Choose the “dimension” you want to win on
You don’t need to be best at everything—pick one primary advantage.

Prompts
  • Are you fastest? Simplest? Most reliable? Most premium? Most specialized?
  • What do customers praise you for in reviews?
  • What do competitors do that you refuse to do (because it hurts quality/trust)?
Output: Your primary differentiation dimension (one phrase).

Step 3
Write your “Only We” claim
This forces clarity. If it sounds generic, it’s not a differentiator yet.

Prompts
  • Finish: “Only we ___ so you can ___.”
  • Or: “Unlike typical ___, we ___.”
  • Or: “We’re the only ___ in [area/category] that ___.”
Output: 1–2 sentences of differentiation copy you can put on your homepage.

Step 4
Attach proof (or a guarantee)
A differentiator without proof feels like marketing.

Prompts
  • What proof can you show? (reviews, before/after, credentials, case studies)
  • What process can you name? (a checklist, a 3-step system, a standard)
  • What risk reducer can you offer? (redo policy, on-time guarantee, transparent pricing)
Output: A proof block: “Because ___, you can trust ___.”

“Only We” templates

Use a template, fill it in, then make it more specific with proof.

Service business

Only we ___ (process/standard) so you get ___ (outcome) without ___ (risk).

Local business

Unlike ___ (typical option), we ___ (differentiator) so you can ___ (benefit).

E-commerce

We’re built for ___ (customer) who want ___ (outcome), and we prove it with ___ (proof).
Need positioning first? Use the positioning template

Examples (small business)

Notice: each differentiator is specific *and* supported by proof or process.

Home cleaning

Claim: Only we send the same small team each visit (no random crews), so you get a consistent clean you can trust—every time.
Proof: Proof: 200+ 5★ reviews + re-clean guarantee within 24 hours.

Local bakery

Claim: Unlike “guess-and-hope” custom cake ordering, we confirm your design with a clear mockup so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Proof: Proof: portfolio gallery + “design approval” step before baking.

Boutique accounting

Claim: Only we keep you tax-ready year-round with monthly check-ins—so April isn’t stressful.
Proof: Proof: monthly dashboard + fixed pricing + response-time promise.

Apply it (so it becomes real)

A differentiator is only useful if customers see it repeatedly—in your copy and your experience.

Homepage

Put the “Only We” claim in your hero subhead. Add proof (reviews/guarantee) right under it.

Services page

Explain your differentiator as a process: steps, standards, what to expect.

Pricing page

Make pricing transparency part of your differentiation (what’s included, what’s not).

Social content

Show behind-the-scenes of your differentiator (checklists, standards, guarantees in action).
Next: turn differentiation into messaging pillars

Want this written down as your "source of truth"?

The Market Positioning Worksheet helps you document your ICP, pain points, value proposition, positioning statement, and differentiator—then download it.

Use the Market Positioning Worksheet Review pain points

Continue Building Your Brand Strategy

Business differentiation is part of your complete brand strategy. Explore these related topics to build a comprehensive positioning and messaging system.

Brand Strategy Hub

Business differentiation is part of our comprehensive brand strategy framework. Explore positioning, messaging, customer insights, and differentiation to build a complete strategy.

Explore Strategy Hub

Market Positioning

Market Positioning Guide

Complete guide to defining your ideal customer, value proposition, and differentiation.

Competitive Differentiation Guide

Learn how to differentiate your brand from competitors without competing on price.

How to Write a Value Proposition

Learn how to write a compelling value proposition that highlights your differentiation.

Messaging & Positioning

Messaging Pillars Guide

Turn your differentiation into messaging pillars that guide all communications.

Brand Positioning Statement Template

Turn your differentiation into a clear positioning statement customers understand.

Customer Insights

Customer Pain Points Framework

Identify real pain points that inform your differentiation strategy.

How to Create an Ideal Customer Profile

Define your ideal customer to understand what differentiation matters most to them.