Today, nearly every business is commoditized:  stores, airlines, financial services, car companies, wireless service, hotels, restaurants.  Even professionals are commoditized:  accountants, realtors, trainers, builders, and the list goes on.   Don't believe me?  If your clients can't get the product or service from you, how hard is it to find a very similar product or service elsewhere?  

A commoditized product or service coupled with low client loyalty is dangerous, as the impact can immediately be felt when and if issues occur.  To exemplify, look at what happened this past month at Toyota.  When quality issues at Toyota surfaced, sales at Ford and other Toyota competitors immediately increased.  Whether or not Toyota's competition will be able to sustain that growth remains to be seen, however.  Because if there is no plan in place to differentiate themselves, Toyota's competition will also lose business when their situation changes. 

Delivering a branded, consistently great customer service is a true differentiator in a commoditized market.  It helps firms (and individuals) gain and maintain business, makes firms more profitable, and enables firms to charge a premium when others are cutting prices.  

Regardless of whether you benefit from a client's misfortune, or if you lose business to your competition, you will need to differentiate yourself from your competition in order to gain or maintain a competitive advantage.  Deliver a branded, consistent service experience for your clients.  It will differentiate you from your competition in a very commoditized world and help you weather the storm the next time the wind blows. 

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