Your server soon arrives. “Hi, my name is John and I’ll be your server today”.

“I think I must have the wrong menu. Is this a joke?”.

“No, sir,” he’s answers.

You’re surprised. “Are you serious? This is Chinese food! Where’s the Italian food?”

The server smiles and seems to understand, “Sir. We’re a chinese restaurant. You see, there are already two other chinese restaurants on this street. So, we decided we would market ourselves a little differently to hopefully attract a different demographic.”

Infuriated, you stand up and leave saying, “That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!”

Is it? Although the above illustration is a little far-fetched within the restaurant business, the exact same senario takes place every single day within other industries. Business and churches alike are often caught trying to “expand their market” by changing the external perceptions about who they are. However, good marketing starts with the “menu” and builds out. You can’t pretend to be something on the outside when the experience on the inside is totally different. True competitive marketing is all about being brutally honest about who you are and aren’t.

So, decide what makes your menu better than the competition’s, and find ways to tell your potential patrons what makes it better. Every decision that you make on the outside should reveal to your customer what to expect when they sit down at the table and get ready to order.