What is the We Do It Differently Effect?

It's when you show buyers a way of working that no one else uses. That gives them a clear reason to pick you.

Buyers can't compare endless similar options, so they default to the one that felt different. That difference lowers risk in their mind.

Name the standard approach in your market, then show what it costs the buyer. Back up your difference with proof, not just a claim.

When does it work best?

It works best in crowded markets where sellers sound the same. It also helps when buyers have been let down by the usual approach before.

When does it become dangerous?

It backfires if your difference isn't real. Claiming to work differently, then delivering the same as everyone else, breaks trust fast.

What are common mistakes to avoid?

The biggest one is claiming to be different with no proof behind it. The second is making it all about you instead of the buyer.

Practical Sales Training™ > How To Get Attention > The We Do It Differently Effect

The We Do It Differently Effect

TLDR: Show buyers how you do things differently, so they have a clear reason to choose you over anyone else.

Every market has a default way of doing things. Buyers see it everywhere, so it stops standing out. Show them a different way and their brain notices. That’s often the real reason they pick you.

What Is It

The We Do It Differently Effect is simple. You show buyers a way of working that no one else uses. It has to be clear enough for them to picture straight away. Most sellers describe themselves the same way, so that contrast makes you memorable. Buyers forget sameness fast, but they remember what looked different.

Why Does It Work

Buyers can’t compare fifty near identical options in their head. It’s too much effort. So they default to the one that felt different, even if they can’t explain why. Difference cuts through decision fatigue. It also lowers risk in their mind. Doing things a new way signals you’ve thought harder about the problem. That’s the psychology. People don’t buy the safest choice. They buy the choice that felt like it understood them.

How Can You Use It

Here’s how to put it to work.

Point At The Standard Approach First

Name the usual way people in your market do things. Don’t attack it. Just describe it plainly, the way your buyer already sees it. This builds trust fast. You sound like you understand their world before you try to sell them anything.

Show The Cost Of The Old Way

Once you’ve named the standard approach, show what it actually costs the buyer. Slower results. More admin. A worse experience somewhere down the line. Frame it as awareness, not attack. You’re simply showing them what they’ve been living with, often without noticing it.

Make The Difference Provable, Not Just Claimed

Anyone can say they’re different. Buyers stopped believing that line years ago. Back it up with something concrete: a screenshot, a number, a policy nobody else offers. Proof turns a claim into a fact they can check for themselves.

When It Works Best

This works best in crowded markets, where every seller sounds nearly identical. It also works when your buyer has been burned before by the standard approach. If they’ve felt that pain already, showing a different way lands even harder. Commodity products benefit most, since there’s little else to separate you on.

When It Becomes Dangerous

The risk shows up when your difference isn’t real. Claim to work differently, then deliver the same as everyone else, and buyers notice fast. That gap does real damage. It’s worse than staying similar in the first place. Once trust breaks here, it’s hard to win back.

Common Mistakes

Watch out for these traps.

Claiming Different Without Proof

Saying “we do things differently” with nothing to back it up is the most common mistake here. Buyers have heard that line a thousand times. Without proof, it reads as noise, not a reason to choose you.

Making It About You, Not Them

Some sellers get so excited about their own process that they forget to connect it to a buyer outcome. Different only matters if it means something to the buyer. Always tie it back to what changes for them.

Undermining The Competition Instead Of Elevating Yourself

There’s a fine line between contrast and cheap shots. If your messaging reads as bashing other companies, buyers switch off and start defending the brand you’re criticising. Stay focused on your own approach. Let the comparison speak for itself.

The We Do It Differently Effect – An Example

I like how Hims handles this on its own product page. For example, it lines its offer up against the standard approach used across the industry: the classic first order discount. Then it says that approach falls short. The message is simple. Everyone else discounts you once to win the sale. Hims positions itself as built for the long run instead, not a one time deal.

See Also