Quality and Service - Yeah, Right!. Baby Shower Games For Your Special Baby Shower.
One of the critical drivers of business success is having a unique competitive advantage. Most managers understand that to attract a larger share of the market, or find enough customers prepared to pay a premium price, they must provide something of greater value than their competition. For most managers, competitive advantage boils down to providing superior quality and service. Think about it. Is this what you are aiming for?
Now, striving for quality and service sounds to me like what Americans call "motherhood and apple pie." The purity of these things has an appeal that you can't argue with. But I have a problem with the concept. You see, whenever I ask my clients what their competitive advantage is, realizing that there can be only one "cheapest" competitor, they almost invariably tell me that it is quality and service. The trouble I have with that is, if everyone provides quality and service, where is the competitive advantage?
The problem with just saying quality and service is that the concepts are too vague. Think about it. Can you give me a definition of the word "quality"? It's not that easy is it. There is something intangible about "quality" because it is a relative term. When I ask my clients what they mean by "quality" or "service," they have the same difficulty. The danger is that their idea of quality is something less than their customer's. Unless you can define exactly what "quality" and "service" means to your customers, you don't have a tangible competitive advantage.
What does "quality" mean for your product or service? How is that different from any of your competitors? You need to get very specific. Merely generalising about quality and service doesn't give customer's anything to go on. Can you prove your product is better, stronger, faster, more reliable? Just presenting quality and service in general terms isn't enough to demonstrate a clear competitive advantage. Customers don't believe vague claims and they don't believe you, unless you can back up your statement with irrefutable facts. The same goes for service. What does better service mean?
Is it faster, more personal, more user friendly? How can you support your claims?
Whether you use these statements in your advertising or selling situations, statements that are specific and verifiable will always be more believable and therefore more effective, than vague generalizations. So if you promote your product or service on the basis of superior quality, start working on defining exactly why it is superior and provide measurable proof of its superiority. This will achieve one of two things. First, you may find out that your product or service isn't really that much different or better than your competitor. That's OK. At least you now know and can get to work on finding out how to make it superior. Secondly, if you can define your superiority and provide measurable proof, now you really have a competitive advantage which gives you a unique selling proposition to advertise.
Look at the following claims. "Our product is the best on the market." Or. "Our product was shown in scientific trials to be 37% more effective in ..... than competing products." Which do you think would be more effective in advertising?
If you can't test your product or service to measure its superiority, you can provide independent verification of your claims in other ways. For example, using client testimonials is a very effective way of overcoming customer skepticism. When independent people talk about your product or service in a positive way, describing the benefits they have received, it is much more believable than when you say the same things yourself. It is even better if your customer is specific .
So, what is your competitive advantage? Don't say quality and service. That just doesn't mean anything to your market. Get specific, get the facts and be believable. Then use that unique selling proposition in all your promotions and selling activities to drive home your competitive advantage. You'll see a difference in your results that makes it worth the effort.
(c) 2004 Greg Roworth, Progressive Business Solutions Limited
Greg Roworth is the Managing Director of Progressive Business Solutions Limited, a business development consultancy firm with branches in Wellington and Auckland, New Zealand. Greg has created a unique business development program that assists business owners transform their business from a state of total dependency on them to a state where the business works so well they don't have to.
Greg is also the author of "The 7 Keys to Unlock Your Business Profit Potential," which descibes the fundamental keys a business needs to achieve this transformation. Find out more, get 2 free chapters, or buy the book online at http://www.small-business-success.ws
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
So you're holding a baby shower? Then you will need baby shower games to keep the guests entertained. While the baby shower is a good time to pamper the mom-to-be and make her feel very special there are also a number of guests that need to be kept happy for the duration of the event. Our focus here is on baby shower games, since these are always the most memorable part of any baby shower.
Baby shower games can be both silly and entertaining by overall they should be plain old fun. Some are intended to embarrass the mom-to-be, but others can really be fun and may even teach the guests something. The promise of a prize, even something token like, always adds to the enjoyment too.
Games can be a great way to get guests to mingle at a shower especially if they don't know each other and it is also a great ice breaker. Here are some ideas for choosing the right baby shower games:
In the planning stages of the baby shower, be sure to discuss potential game ideas with the mom-to-be. She may have some definite dislikes when it comes to baby shower games, and since it's her day, you want to be sure to plan something she'll enjoy and be very comfortable with.
Plan the first baby shower game for early in the party because it can make for a great icebreaker, so try to schedule it for just after everyone arrives but just before the main food courses and gift opening.
Pick a game that is connected to your theme. Whatever your decorating and food plans, you can tie it all together with a well-chosen game in the same theme.
Prepare in advance. If your game requires writing, be sure you've gathered up enough pens and pencils beforehand. And the same thing goes for other objects: have it all ready to go so guests don't have to wait.
Choose creative but inexpensive prizes as token items for guests. The fun of the game should be in the playing, but it's nice to have a prize and enters a little competitive spirit. Take pictures during the baby shower game. They make great additions to a mom's scrapbook and as a long term keepsake for the baby.
Choose easy Games.
Games should be easy to explain and easy to play. Anything confusing or difficult takes all the fun out of it and people get bored before the game even begins.
So now that you know how to plan for the shower games, here are some of the more popular shower games for you to incorporate into your event:
Guessing the Baby Food - Remove the labels from a few jars of baby food after marking the lids by numbers. Make a list of the contents of each jar. Each person has to taste the food and try to guess what it is - pear, potato, custard, beef etc. Let everyone write down the number from the jar and what they think is in it. The person with the most correct guesses wins the game!
The Tray Game - Place a number of baby items on a tray. (Usually about 15-20). Slowly circle the room allowing each guest a chance to examine the items. Remove the tray from the room and see who can remember the most items on a paper in 2 minutes. Usually the items on the tray go to the expectant mom and the winner gets a small prize.
Guess the Girth - Check with the guest of honor in advance on this one. All you need is a ball or two of string. Ask guests to cut a length of string that they think will stretch around the future mom's belly. After everyone has had a turn, the mother-to-be measures and cuts a string that fits her belly. Compare her string to all the guests' pieces of string. The person who was closest wins a small prize. This is a great icebreaker and always good for some laughs.
Baby Picture Match Game - In advance, ask all the guests for pictures of themselves as babies. Assemble the photos on a pin up board and assign a number to each photo. At some point during the shower, pass out sheets of paper to the guests so they can match each baby to the appropriate grown-up. If the guests don't know each other well, name tags can help the process. The person who gets the most correct answers wins.
Looking for baby bedding, baby gift baskets, baby furniture, baby shower invitations, baby strollers, Robeez shoes, baby shower games or themes, please visit http://www.baby-shower-4u.com
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Baby Shower Themes For Your Special Baby Shower
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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