Knowledge of what the competition is doing is vital for any successful company. If the competition is offering something special, a prudent company will respond by offering something even better. Doing this draws in potential customers. What, though, can be done when facing price-cutting competitors? Is engaging in a price-war the only option? How can you create an exciting reputation within your rental market? Simply put, how can you rise above the crowd?
    Take a moment and take a step inside the customer’s shoes. What’s the most important thing to a customer? Cheap pricing is obvious, but this is not always the highest valued attribute. For instance, Corporate Events, College Fairs, and Local Fairs are all times where the experience is much more important than price to the customer. What do I mean?
    Imagine you are planning a trip to Las Vegas with your significant other. Not only do you want to impress them, but you want to create many lasting memories. Do you choose the hotel with the cheapest price? Of course not! Even though you may not sleep any better at the top-dollar places like the Luxor, Bellagio, or the Wynn hotels, the atmosphere, ambience, and experience are much more gratifying and memorable. If I booked a hotel based on price alone and my wife then saw the Bellagio, my good time would be snatched away. I would be spending the rest of the vacation apologizing for being such a cheap-skate!
    Your customers often face a similar scenario. Your customer wants to make a good impression too! Do you have any eye-candy in your inventory to satisfy their desire? Is your company displaying the latest and greatest slides and obstacle courses?

    The only trade show I personally work each year is the IAAPA show. Every year I see long-time customers return to add more of our exciting attractions to their inventory. In fact, the largest customers at the show consistently purchase our wildest designs year after year. These customers just can’t wait to tell me how their business has grown because of such cutting-edge inflatables like the massive Kongo Krazy™, the classic Titanic Adventure Slide™, or the dazzling Wild One Obstacle Course™. Despite starting with just bouncers and generic slides, these customers have grown and now do the biggest – and most profitable – events in the industry! Yes, these successful companies know that price isn’t the only thing that matters.
    I find it a tad funny, then, when – year after year – I talk to customers who refuse to take the plunge and up the ante in their market. “I could never rent a $15k slide for more than $300 in my market,” they foolishly reason. So off they go with the status-quo… until next year, when I see them eyeing our next spectacular inflatable creation but never making the switch to higher-profit items. Do they like having to slog through price-wars with their competition, never rising above the crowd and distinguishing themselves? I honestly don’t know.
    I’ve had a number of customers tell me that they got into a particularly profitable event because they featured the latest Cutting Edge Creations slide or obstacle course. This was not because of price, service, or anything else; it was because of the excitement the designs created!

    
    When you come back from Vegas, your friends are sure to ask: “Where did you stay – the Monte Carlo, the Sahara, or the Mandalay Bay?” Of course you want bragging rights – who doesn’t? Your customer wants the same thing when planning their event. They want creativity, they want excitement, and they want to show-off. They want a Cutting Edge Creations design.
    Now with prices better than ever, our products are even more affordable. Start looking like the company you’ve always wanted to be! Stop focusing on only those bottom-dollar customers and start going after the real money in the industry. Rise above the crowd!