If we think back to our high school science or physics class, we might remember using a prism – a smooth piece of 3-sided solid glass that has the ability to separate and bend light waves. What appears as white light can actually be broken into various component parts through the use of a prism.
This type of a prism interrupts the incoming light and bends it. Some of the light has a relatively short wavelength and others are longer. The colors range from red to violet, with orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo in-between. In fact, we might recall “Roy G. Biv” – Red, orange, yellow (“Roy”), Green (“G.”), Blue, indigo, violet (“Biv”) – as the way to remember the colors.
So what does this have to do with aging in place services? Plenty.
When people contact us or see us online (on our website or social media profile), it may seem initially that we are similar to other businesses that perform the same type of services as we do – with nothing distinguishing us from other providers. However, once the conversation starts, we can begin separating ourselves from similar sounding businesses much the same way that a prism separates the light waves into its component parts.
While everything may appear to seem white or just be light to the consumer who is looking for design or remodeling help, they don’t understand the value of using a trained aging in place specialist or engaging someone who is going to take their personal needs, concerns, and interests into consideration and not deliver a typical solution that might apply to anyone. They are going to get a design that considers their mobility, sensory, and cognitive health plus the condition of the home and how well it coincides with what they need to do in the living space.
This prism effect works in three important ways: for us to use to determine which potential clients and customers are more in need of immediate assistance from us – in the form that aligns or coincides with our business model and the scope of services we offer, for our customers and clients to apply to firms like us to differentiate the ones who can provide what they from those that don’t or can’t, and for us to use to select the most effective strategic partners and resources for our businesses.
People that need aging in place solutions for their homes may have difficulty locating, vetting, and determining which contractors or consultants to use because everything is appearing relatively the same to them – except perhaps the size of the company and the amount they want to charge for the job. We need to consciously use the prism concept to make sure that our color of the spectrum, so-to-speak, shines through clearly and stronger than the others. Let many of them remain in the prism as just part of the general light without anything specific shining through.
Our potential customers and clients need to understand – through our actions, our results, testimonials on our websites and social media such as LinkedIn, our website content, videos we prepare and share, and general word-of-mouth from satisfied clients and strategic partners – that we understand what they need and that we can deliver it in a way that few others can. In fact, they should feel – because we also feel this way – that they can’t get the quality of services and the solutions we provide from anyone else in our market at any price.
“Roy G. Biv” can be an important asset for us when we remember to let our own particular strengths separate from the blended light of everyone else.