
Unique Like Everybody Else - David Searns - Hard Corps Marketing Show - Episode #292
In an effort to make your business stand out, have you accidentally made yourself more similar to your competition? Today's guest is a serial entrepreneur, marketing thought leader, and skilled manager with more than 20 years of marketing and consulting in the staffing industry. David Searns is the Co-CEO of the Haley Marketing Group. David sits down with Casey to discuss how you can more effectively brand yourself, and how to use your mission, vision, and values to stand out.
Busted Myths:
“Differentiation. It's bullshit. Boom.”
Takeaways
When highlighting things to market, focus on things that deliver measurable value and matter to your customer.
Differentiation is multi-layered - Procurement, HR, and an Owner are all going to have different metrics of success for the same employee.
A one size fits all message likely resonates with no one
Differentiating pricing doesn't mean discounting pricing, it means changing how people pay for what you do.
The origin story/ reason the founder founded the company helps define your differentiation.
You need to establish your product, pricing, and distribution before you focus on promotion. Once those 3 things are established, figuring out your promotion strategy will come more easily.
Before working with a client, do some background research on the industry. What's going on, who are the leading experts, and what are the biggest problems?
Quote of the Show:
“Marketing is the cost of having an undifferentiated product” - David Searns
Book Recommendations:
Vivid Vision - Cameron Herold
Building a StoryBrand - Donald Miller
They Ask, You Answer - Marcus Sheridan
No BS Series - Dan Kennedy
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidatHaley
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsearns/
Website: https://www.haleymarketing.com/
Book Link: https://www.haleymarketing.com/haley-resources/ebooks/
Podcast: https://www.haleymarketing.com/haley-resources/secrets-of-staffing-success-podcasts/
Ways to Tune In:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763
Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/37228621-2f9c-4905-a223-1844effb49dd
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show
Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show
YouTube: https://youtu.be/MEdmHAA0dDM
In an effort to make your business stand out, have you accidentally made yourself more similar to your competition? Today's guest is a serial entrepreneur, marketing thought leader, and skilled manager with more than 20 years of marketing and consulting in the staffing industry. David Searns is the Co-CEO of the Haley Marketing Group. David sits down with Casey to discuss how you can more effectively brand yourself, and how to use your mission, vision, and values to stand out.
Busted Myths:
- “Differentiation. It's bullshit. Boom.”
Takeaways
- When highlighting things to market, focus on things that deliver measurable value and matter to your customer.
- Differentiation is multi-layered - Procurement, HR, and an Owner are all going to have different metrics of success for the same employee.
- A one size fits all message likely resonates with no one
- Differentiating pricing doesn't mean discounting pricing, it means changing how people pay for what you do.
- The origin story/ reason the founder founded the company helps define your differentiation.
- You need to establish your product, pricing, and distribution before you focus on promotion. Once those 3 things are established, figuring out your promotion strategy will come more easily.
- Before working with a client, do some background research on the industry. What's going on, who are the leading experts, and what are the biggest problems?
Quote of the Show:
- “Marketing is the cost of having an undifferentiated product” - David Searns
Book Recommendations:
- Vivid Vision - Cameron Herold
- Building a StoryBrand - Donald Miller
- They Ask, You Answer - Marcus Sheridan
- No BS Series - Dan Kennedy
Links:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidatHaley
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsearns/
- Website: https://www.haleymarketing.com/
- Book Link: https://www.haleymarketing.com/haley-resources/ebooks/
- Podcast: https://www.haleymarketing.com/haley-resources/secrets-of-staffing-success-podcasts/
Ways to Tune In:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show/id1338838763
- Amazon Music/Audible: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/37228621-2f9c-4905-a223-1844effb49dd
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1vVLpNI1LssMTiL6Kdsamn
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-hard-corps-marketing-show
- Google Podcasts: https://play.google.com/music/m/Im7mytmu2wa2mekhoeixlja5hpe?t=The_Hard_Corps_Marketing_Show
- YouTube: https://youtu.be/MEdmHAA0dDM
Creators and Guests

Host
Casey Cheshire
CEO & Founder of Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. Casey Cheshire is a marketer, serial entrepreneur, and adventurer. He has been in EO for close to 10 years and counts his relationships as a key reason for his continued success. Casey’s passion for podcasting led to him founding Ringmaster Conversational Marketing. Ringmaster helps B2B businesses launch podcasts that drive growth and revenue. Previously, Casey founded and ran Cheshire Impact for 10 years. It became the top Salesforce Pardot marketing automation solutions partner in the world before a successful exit in 2021. He is also a US Marine Corps Veteran where he served in the Infantry and deployed to some very hot climates. In his free time, Casey likes to skydive, climb mountains, and pretend to be a hungry bear for his two kids.