When will companies get over themselves?
One of my blog readers named Bob, who is a marketing manager sent me a note about the leadership team at the B2B company he works.
He told me that he can’t convey to management that customers don’t care what they sell – they care how it will help them succeed. They created some marketing materials that only talked about the features of what they sold – not the benefits to the potential customer. This value idea is a pretty simple notion but one that frequently gets lost in messaging.
I told this reader that your product or service creates value IF your customer can use it to help them increase the value of what they sell.
- The innovative glass company that creates a distinctive bottle that allows a spirits brand stand out on the shelf and conveys value.
- The technology firm that gives sales team an edge because they help them target their messages more effectively.
- The independent toy store that offers gift wrapping and delivery because the chains won’t provide these services.
It is Not About You
I suggested to him that he sit down with a few of the leadership team members and the purchasing manager at his company. Ask the purchasing manager to describe how she decides to buy from one supplier over another. Let her explain that although the price is important, quality, dependability matter too. And, let her explain how some of these suppliers solve problems with unique and proprietary offerings.
My reader, Bob, reported back to me this week. He said that their purchasing manager helped to explain to the senior team that she looks to buy from companies who solve her problems. Hearing this first hand, helped to reinforce what the marketing manager was trying to tell his bosses. It isn’t about us – it is about solving a customer’s problem and bringing value to them.
This mind shift helped reframe the discussion. By hearing a purchase manager talk about why she buys, it helped the management team to realize that they too needed to do a better job of communicating their benefits.
The purchasing manager shared a few examples of how she buys goods for the firm:
- Can a vendor meet the specifications but deliver three times per week, not just once per week? That helps her with a problem she has with limited storage space.
- Can a vendor handle the regulatory paperwork for her so that she doesn’t have to bother? She is short-handed and doesn’t have the bandwidth to do this in addition to her job.
- Can a vendor’s material solve a technical need that the competitors can’t match? She was asked by an engineer to find a material that not only did what the competitors product did, but was also made with a fire retardant due to the unique application.
Customers buy solutions. Your greatest selling asset is your ears.
I know this sounds a lot like JFK’s famous call to action for the American public:
“Ask not what your country can do for, ask what you can do for your country”.
Stop telling people what you do. Tell customers what you can do for them.
_______
Are you still unclear what your benefits are for your customers? Need help sorting through a value proposition? I can help. Call me at 919 720 0995 or send me an email so we can chat at jeffreylynnslater@gmail.com. Or, you can fill out this contact form if this is easier right here.
Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/u/jim-jackson-8721/
