We aren't even number 2! Lessons from Avis
I recently stumbled across the story of Hertz v Avis in the 1960s.
In the early 60's Avis decided to embrace its position as the number 2 player in the car rental market (after Hertz) with some brilliant adverts that highlighted their passion for customer service.
The "We Try Harder" ads were a huge hit and within 12 months Avis went from a loss of over $3m to making a $1.2m profit. Indeed, from 1962-1966 their market share grew from 29-36%. Hertz began to worry. Avis had struck a chord with people.
This story got me thinking about my company, SJS Consulting. We recruit within the fascinating niche that is FMCG. We are 7 people based in Wiltshire and we work with some fantastic employers and people across the UK.
We are definitely not number 1 in our market. We aren't even close to number 2.
This doesn't bother me.
I smile when I see competitors shout about being "the best" or the "biggest" or the "company that has the most interim professionals working through them". For starters, can they substantiate these facts? I am certain they can't. After all, what is the best?
What I learned from the Avis story is that customers don't care about how big you are or how many offices you've got globally or whether you won another industry award.
In my experience, what they do care about is the quality of service they get from you as a customer. This means giving honest, insightful and useful advice and counsel to help employers find the best talent and people find the right next career for them.
The Avis ads really resonated with me, using language such as:
"Avis can't afford not to be nice" or "When you are only number 2, you try harder, or else" and my personal favourite "Avis can't afford dirty ashtrays."
This very position is what SJS lives and experiences day to day. I recently attended a pitch to secure a piece of business with an iconic branded FMCG business and it became clear to me that they were fed up with being treated liked a number and having a succession of different people deal with them from their previous large national supplier. Of course I stressed our passion for quality of service and the fact that my small, but brilliant, team are mainly long serving members of SJS. It was a real thrill to win the business over bigger competition, on that particular occasion.
So, Avis taught me to shout more about not being number 1, 2 (or even 3). But instead to shout about how we are different and how we don't need the business but will most certainly value it. For all the small businesses out there, don't worry about not being number 1, embrace what you are and shout about it from the rooftops.
