A few weeks ago, I was invited to join an elite group that was embarking upon a special mission to save the world and bring all villains to justice. There were three of us: my grandson Nico, age three and a half; my granddaughter Ava, age two; and me.

Nico was in his Batman costume from last Halloween. His sister Ava was cast as his faithful sidekick Robin. She didn’t have an official costume, so she improvised with a fluffy pink robe to match the pink Binky in her mouth.

I had to improvise my costume also. Luckily, I found a pair safety goggles on my workbench and a leopard-print throw blanket from the sofa I was able to use for a cape.

Just as we were about to launch our mission, Nico (I mean Batman) gave us the classic hand sign for “halt” and asked, “Wait…Papa, who are you?” Thinking quickly, I said, “I’m SuperPapa.”

I could see his eyes rolling behind his face mask. “That’s not a real superhero,” he said. “Sure it is,” I fibbed. I don’t think he bought it, but he didn’t want to hold up the mission.

“What’s your superpower?” he asked. “Do you fly? Can you freeze bad guys? Do you have lasers coming out of your eyes?” Eventually, I chose one that satisfied Batman, and off we went to save the day and the world.

Do you NEED a Superpower?

Do you need a superpower? Does Spiderman need a superpower to defeat the Green Goblin? Of course. If you want to win in your market, you should identify your superpower and use it in your new business efforts. It’s important to know your strengths, so you can target the most likely markets and prospects.

Finding YOUR Superpower?

Superman probably recognized his superpowers when he was nine or ten years old and living on the Kent family farm. When his father asked him to help get the tractor unstuck from the mud, Clark probably picked up the tractor, carried it across the field and set it down near the barn. “Yep, I think our boy has superpowers,” Mr. Kent told Clark’s mom. It was obvious.

It was obvious for us here at Farris Marketing too. If I were asked what our superpower was, I would answer without hesitating — EXPERIENCE. Sure we’re artists, web developers, writers, video experts and advertising pros — but what sets us apart is our experience. Over the last 33 years, we’ve created an impressive catalogue of successes for our clients. Experience tells us what works and what doesn’t — and when we make new business pitches, we win a lot of them because of our experience.

But recognizing your organization’s superpower may not be as easy as it was for Clark Kent or Farris. So we’ve developed a simple and reliable method to help you do that.

Research Old and New Customers

Talk to the last 10-20 customers or clients you’ve landed recently. This is “Group A.” Ask them the main reason they came to you, and the one thing you said or showed them that was the tipping point in their decision.

Now talk to your oldest, best customers. What is the main reason they stay with you? This is “Group B.” What qualities or attributes of your organization do both groups agree on (or come closest to agreeing on)?

The answer you get is your superpower. Once you know it, use it often.

Now get out there and start saving the world. ##