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👀 I've got a BIG announcement coming in 16 days! But you'll find first out in 15 if you attend my workshop on June 18th…

Three different service providers. Same industry.

“What makes me different is that I meet with clients monthly and give them strategic, personalized guidance.”

Sounds solid, right?

Well, not when you consider this. They all said the exact same thing. Each of these business owners believed that monthly strategy calls were their unique differentiator. Why?

They were basing their differentiation entirely on what clients said they didn’t like about previous providers. But here’s the problem. Those providers offered subpar service. That’s why their clients left.

And none of them had looked at what their competitors were doing.

Of course it’s helpful to know what wasn’t working, but that’s not the benchmark. Your real competition isn’t the person who dropped the ball. It’s the one your client is considering now: the one who offers a comparable service, has similar strengths, and knows how to position it clearly.

Let’s put it another way.

If you're driving a Ferrari, it's not helpful to compare yourself to a Nissan. (No offense to Nissan owners. Practical? Sure. Aspirational? Not the same.)

You don’t need to be better than the worst option someone left. You need to be the clear, obvious choice among the best ones they’re still considering.

A real world example

Three personal trainers all say the same thing:

‘I offer more than workouts. I help with mindset, nutrition, and habits.’ And they each believe that’s what makes them different.

But none of them had looked at what other trainers nearby were already offering. When you actually do the research? You find that holistic support—nutrition, mindset, habit coaching—is the industry norm.

What they thought made them special was actually just the standard.

They’re not wrong that clients value support beyond the basics. But if they’re not checking the market, they’re building a brand based on assumptions.

MYTH: “I don’t need to do competitor research. I already know what makes me valuable.”

Of course you offer value. You probably hear that from clients all the time. But that’s not the real issue. “Value” is not a differentiator. It’s an expectation.

If your audience doesn’t immediately understand what sets you apart, they’re not going to take the time to figure it out. They’ll just move on.

Positioning isn’t about what you do. It’s about what people perceive.

INSIGHT: You’re not just competing with similar services. You’re competing with inertia.

Let’s say you’re a copywriter. You’re not just up against other copywriters. You’re up against:

• AI writing tools
• DIY approaches
• Designers who throw in “copy”
• Templates and quick fixes
• And doing nothing at all
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Most buyers are choosing between you and the path of least resistance. Not just between you and a direct competitor.

That means your messaging has to overcome more than confusion. It has to overcome inaction.

“I don’t have competitors” OR “I don’t even know who my competitors are.”

I hear these a lot. And I get it. When you’ve created something custom, values-led, or deeply personal, it feels like you’re in a category of your own.

But unless you’re the only human (or non-human) solving your client’s problem, you have competitors. You may not know who they are yet, but your audience does. They’re already researching, comparing, and narrowing down their options.

Start by asking: What is my client trying to solve? What else might they be considering to solve it?

This includes:

• Direct competitors: same offer, same audience
• Indirect competitors: different approach, same end result
• Inertia: postponing or avoiding the decision altogether

Not sure where to start?

• Type your offer into Google and check the “People also ask” section.
• Check Reddit and Quora threads.
• Look at what shows up in your competitors’ FAQs and comment sections.

That’s where real buyer behavior shows up. Not in your bubble, but in theirs.

OBJECTION: “But I don’t want to be influenced by what others are doing.”

Totally fair fear. You want to stay original, not end up sounding like everyone else. And I hate to be the one to break it to you, but… You can’t intentionally be different if you don’t know what everyone else is saying.

Avoiding research doesn’t make you unique. It makes you unaware. You’re not protecting your voice. You’re flying blind.

Originality without awareness is luck, not strategy.

OBJECTION: “I don’t have time (or money) for deep research.”

Also fair. Time is tight. And depending on your stage of business, so is your capacity.

You’re not wrong, but you may want to consider another perspective. The less you’re investing in marketing, a team, or outside support, the more important it is to get your positioning right. And that starts with competitor research.

Here’s what that looks like at different stages:

➡️ If you’re in the startup stage
​You might have more time than money. Use it wisely. Start small. Look at 1–3 businesses that serve the same audience. Notice what they say, how they say it, and what they leave out. That’s where you can stand out.

➡️ If you’re in the growth stage
​You’re likely balancing delivery, visibility, and refinement. You’ve got offers, some traction, and now you’re trying to stand out in a noisier market. Chances are, your early positioning probably isn't cutting it anymore. And your audience is making more comparisons before they buy.

➡️ If you’re in the scaling stage
​You’re investing in visibility, building a team, and expanding your presence. But the more you grow, the higher the stakes. If you want your brand to scale with you (and not get diluted as you expand) you need to know how to consistently show up as the best option in a crowded space.

Bottom line?

💡Time or budget constraints don’t make competitor research less important. They make it more important. Because you’re relying on your positioning to do more of the work for you.

And if you do have the budget? Hire someone who knows how to do this well. Someone who can go beyond surface-level copy comparisons and help you find the gaps, patterns, and opportunities that actually matter.

(If only you knew someone…)

No matter where you are, you need clarity on how you compare. Because the market is evolving with or without you. And vague messaging at scale? That’s expensive.

So what does effective competitor research actually look like?

It’s not just Googling a few people in your niche or skimming Instagram bios.

When I do this for myself or clients, I’m not just looking at what competitors say. I’m analyzing how they show up across the board.

Here’s what I pay attention to:

• Who they’re targeting
• What pain points they highlight
• What results they promise
• Whether they clearly explain the value of their process, not just the steps
• Their voice and tone
• How consistent they are across their website, social, and email
• Where they’re showing up, and what topics they’re owning
• What they’re not saying (this is often where the real opportunity is)
• Their pricing, packages, lead magnets, and testimonials
• Whether they’re building trust or just making claims

If you’re only scanning homepages and taglines, you’re missing the full picture. Strong competitor research doesn’t just help you say something different. It helps you say something better, and more relevant.

INSIGHT: Skipping competitor research is a form of privilege.

Some people can get by without it. They have name recognition, a built-in referral stream, or momentum from early success. But for most businesses—especially those that are small, growing, or pivoting—market awareness isn’t a luxury.

And to be clear: privilege isn’t the problem.

The problem is assuming what works for someone with a head start will work the same way for you. If you’re building your brand without that buffer, you need to be more intentional. And that starts with knowing who and what you’re up against.

INSIGHT: You can’t differentiate in 2025 using assumptions from 2019.

When I did a competitor scan for my own brand (yes, again), I found plenty of people offering brand strategy, messaging, and website copy. Many even had similar processes.

But I also found gaps.

• They weren’t explaining the value of their process, just listing steps.
• Some sounded like AI wrote it.
• Their messaging felt templated or too clever to be clear.
• The positioning was fuzzy. I couldn’t tell who it was for—or why it mattered.

That’s where I found my edge.

Not by saying I do more. But by saying what I do better. Clearer. Bolder. More human.

That’s the power of real competitor research. It gives you the clarity to say the thing no one else is saying, but your audience desperately needs to hear.

One last thing: why this matters more than ever.

Buyers are being more selective. Budgets are tighter. People are comparing, hesitating, and scrutinizing more than they were even a year ago. Trust takes longer to earn.

Standing out isn’t enough. You want to be the obvious choice the moment someone’s ready to buy.

And that doesn’t happen by accident. You don’t win by shouting louder. You win by showing up clearer.

To sum it up, you’re not the only option. So stop marketing like you are.

Competitor research isn’t about copying. It’s about clarity. It’s how you:

• Spot what others are saying
• Say something different
• Take yourself out of the comparison pool

You don’t get to be the obvious choice by accident. You get there by knowing exactly what your audience sees, and choosing to show up smarter.

📣Podcasts and Workshops

🗓️ I’m going live with Wendy-Shore Rosano on June 18th @ 11am EST. We’re talking about The ROI of Content: It’s Not What You May Think. You’ll also be the first to hear our BIG announcement and get on our wait list for our new offer.

🎙️I was thrilled to be a guest on Fran Callado’s podcast, LinkedIn Marketing Mastery. We talked about how to attract the right audience (aka, the ones ready to buy). You can listen to it on Spotify or YouTube.

🎉My friend Wendy Muzzy’s Fun and Profitable Community launched 2 days ago! Grab your spot on the waitlist: https://seleczko--wendymuzzy.thrivecart.com/founding-member/682cd206498c0/​

Until next time,

Stacy

​Connect on LinkedIn​

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⚠️ P.S. If you’ve been thinking about working with me, I have space for 1 client in September. If you want to end Q3 strong, I’d love to chat and make it yours!

👋🏻 I hope you enjoyed issue 54 of straight-to-the-point insights that turn why they buy into how you sell. (Did someone forward this to you? Subscribe here.)