What if your product or service is providing a better solution into a well defined market space with known competition and known solutions? You think you have a far superior solution to a problem that people are already buying solutions to.
In many ways, this is the ideal situation in which to be. The main reason is that people already understand the problem exists, have already consigned themselves to spending money to solve the problem, and are already on the look out for a solution that best fits their needs. What could be better?
The downside is that you are forced to spend energy (and money) altering the perception of the prospect. People will either have created a perception in their mind about the solution to a problem or they will be ambivalent. If they have developed a perception, then you have a harder battle.
People almost always hold only one core solution to a problem in mind. You say, “lawn service” and they say “tru-green”. You say “lawn mower” and they say “Toro”. You say “cruise line” and they say “Princess”. You get the idea. They may know of many solutions but only one emotes an immediate response. If you want to play in the consumer’s decision process you have to gain mind share at the expense of the core solution.
Doing this takes more than just being a little bit better. Because they have mind share you have to overcome all the intangible benefits that the consumer has subconsciously assigned to the incumbent. These include items like trust, value, quality… Your solution had better be so much better than the incumbent solution that it resets the playing field. If you don’t, it is going to be an expensive and difficult journey you are embarking on.
