A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU
A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU
how great your products and/or services are, you have an immedi-
ate "in" with those few prospects.
The same is true when a publication prints a story about
how your customers solved a problem using your products or found
your services beneficial ... with one major difference--the read-
ership is in the thousands or hundreds of thousands.
Capitalizing on this kind of endorsement is not only good
business but necessary in order to compete in today's market.
Best of all, it works at every level of marketing--whether you're a manufacturer,
solutions provider, distributor or dealer--is in business to solve
problems for customers (individuals, groups, businesses).
With the growing list of promotional options available, it
makes good sense to examine your alternatives carefully and
complement or stretch your promotional dollars with as many cost-effective
methods as possible. After all, no one has an unlimited budget.
Advertising rates are high and going higher. Web site promotional
costs are being challenged as management searches for ROI questions. On top of
that, the effectiveness of all of these expenditure is being seriously challenged.
In addition, there's the problem of selecting the publica-
tions and/or media you want to carry your message. Despite the Web, the list of
publications available to you is growing, making your selection even more difficult.
For example, the computer industry alone now has more than 150 horizontal
and vertical market publications. The communications industry has about the same number and the Internet’s list is constantly expanding. In many markets, that's nearly one for every
manufacturer.
Your own community newspaper has also probably started a
computer section, adding to your selection/budget problems.
Personal sales calls aren't always the answer either--not
when a call is now exceeding $500. And the availability of top
sales people is definitely not improving.
In short, the marketing "buy-in" cost for your industry is
becoming almost prohibitive.
Rather than trying to "out advertise" the competition, you
need to cover as many of your target areas as possible, and as
cost-effectively as possible.
Several Marketing Messages
No organization--manufacturer, integrator of dealer--has
just one message it wants to communicate; it has a multitude.
There's a corporate message of quality, service and response.
Then there are market segment messages ... messages aimed at
doctors, architects, accountant, home owners, lawyers, IT managers, advertising
agencies, and every other industry you serve.
Advertising to all of them is beyond the scope of nearly
everyone's corporate budget. To ignore them leaves potential
sales on the table for your competition.
The key is to develop a balance in the markets and determine
how you can allocate your resources--money and time--to reach
these various markets.
One of the most effective and most cost-efficient methods
of reaching these vertical markets is through the use of case
history stories or third party endorsement articles.
Look at all of your trade magazines, business publications
and even the daily newspaper. They're literally filled with case
history stories. Ninety percent of the time these were initiated
by someone just like you who had a vested interest in getting a
message out to a particular audience.
Case In Point
Several years ago, we were carrying on a total campaign for
a firm that produced printer/plotters. We had a corporate advertising campaign aimed at general IT and network managers, system integrators and resellers.
We had a secondary PR campaign that included approach-to-problem, technology
and application articles for the trade press.
We also had a third campaign. Marketing would track where
units were sold and give us information about the organization. We would contact
that customer, develop an article on how and why the products were
being used, and place the article in specific industry as well
as general trade publications.
The result?
They sold one printer to a newspaper to be used for proof-
ing computer-generated copy. We wrote and placed the article.
It resulted in ten sales. Sales in six months doubled and then tripled in
the newspaper and publishing industry.
We did the same in the petroleum industry where a system
as sold to be used for plotting seismic data; similar results occurred.
In those tightly knit communities the company became known
as The Newspaper Proofer Company or the Seismic Plotting Company.
Once you've solved a problem for a customer, or a customer
has taken the initiative and solved his or her own problem, you have the
potential to duplicate sales to people in the same or similar market or
situation.
The opportunities are as close as your own files. When you lo-
cate these approach-to-problem situations, you have available one
of the most powerful marketing tools invented.
The case history is not only powerful but is really sought
after by the media ... local, regional and national. Through
the editorial pages you can begin telling others -- in the customer's/
user's own words -- how they solved a problem and improved
their own business. Covering this type of information is one of the prime reasons for any
publication to be in business ... help the readers do their jobs
better and more profitably.
Case histories are excellent for you because:
* They quickly inform the market of new and different solutions.
* They demonstrate your products and/or services in use.
* They illustrate a company's innovation.
* They show acceptance and experience in the marketplace.
* They add credibility and user benefits to your message.
* Properly handled, they encourage readers to relate solutions
to their own needs.
At the recent industry trade show, a software supplier approached
me about work we were doing for one of his competitors. The vice
president of marketing couldn't understand why the software had
so many great articles written about the product in the trade
media when his product had so many more features and did more.
I told him it wasn't any big secret. We just made it
easier for the editors to inform their readers how people in similar work
environments – their counterparts -- were solving certain problems. Coincidentally, the
the solution happened to be the use of our client's product. The marketing VP simply
shook his head and walked away.
It was just good marketing. We were filling a need. In
this instance, our market happened to be editors and their need
was to fill the space in their publications with meaningful,
interesting and useful articles.
We were filling the need much better than our “superior
Product” competitor.
Easy Steps
The development and placement of case history articles is
easy. The hard part is actually doing it.
First, define your goals.
If you ask questions based on your objectives before any
case history story is started, you'll rarely find yourself in the
awkward position of having to back out of the article halfway
through.
Questions To Ask Your Satisfied Customer
* Ask about the company, its place in the industry, size, etc.
* Why did they first need your products/services?
* How did they use the products/services?
* What was the most important feature to them?
* What can they do that they couldn't do before?
* How does the solution save time, money, and rejects?
* Could they accomplish the same with a competitive solution?
If not, how does your solution provide savings they couldn't
otherwise achieve? If so, why did they select your solution
over all others?
* What is the customer contact protocol? Who should clear and
approve the article?
* Of your products/services, on what did the customer draw upon
to solve their problem?
* Who was involved in the application?
Answers to these questions are available within the
customer's organization, but they do require some digging.
So dig. Go to the sources--the people who use your pro-
duct daily. They know the technical aspects of problems and
solutions. They can probably give you outstanding information
to make an interesting article. Since it will be a positive article on their firm.
their activities and the specific department/people; they are usually more than
willing to assist and work with you. Especially when they know they will be
able to review/approve the piece before it is placed.
Before you begin writing, consider who would be interested
in the article after you have all of the facts. This helps you
target and formulate the structure of your article. Ask the
following questions:
* Who do you want to interest?
* What types of publications do they read?
* What magazines in particular address this type of problem for
this type of reader?
* Are there perhaps two or three ways the article can be written
to appeal to other market segments?
Once you have all the facts and you're sure of the audi-
ence, you'll know what slant you will want to take in preparing
the article. But before you sit down at your terminal and begin
banging away, take a moment to outline the entire article. This
will help you pin down your priorities, keep the central theme
clear and make transitions smooth.
A good lead is mandatory. Your lead should first grab the
editor since you have to convince him or her to use the article. Then you have to grab the reader’s attention, stimulate his or her interest. Then introduce the slant or “news”
angle you want to pursue.
Typically, the article should give some introduction
to your solution, background on the subject, explain what the
initial problem or solution was, how the positive outcome came
about (this is where you introduce your product/service story), and then add a
closing that sums up the successful outcome and projects as to the future uses
the customer has for the product or service..
Once you've written your first draft, edit it for length
and clarity and pass it by several of your marketing/technical
people to make certain it presents the message you want to im-
part. You're almost ready to submit it for publication.
Once the article is written, make certain it is thoroughly
approved within the customer's location. That means it should
be circulated throughout their marketing department to ensure
that it properly presents their company as they wish.
If they don't get all of the approvals necessary, the arti-
cle may be published with erroneous information. Suddenly you're
the bad person in the situation.
Focus On Customer
Make certain the customer you will feature is doing an out-
standing job and has a good reputation in his industry. This
sounds simple, but it can often be overlooked in your zeal for
getting a good article on your products/services into print. If
the customer is a loser, what do you gain by teaming up with him?
The significance of a company name doesn't necessarily add
any value to your company or your product. There are more than
fourteen million firms across the U.S. and over 40 million around the globe that
are not in the Fortune 1000. That means more people will be able to relate
size, problem, solution and results with the "smaller" firm.
In addition, a relatively small or unknown organization may
have an outstanding application that creatively solves a problem
common to thousands of prospective customers. Few CEOs or senior managers
can associate the problems/solutions of a Fortune 1000 firm with their situation.
However, when the company being covered is a similar size and in a similar position
it is easier to see how the reader could possibly implement the same or similar solution.
Given the choice, go with the smaller or unknown customer every time.
First, they are going to be easier to deal with. Secondly, they
are going to want the exposure more and will assist you. Finally, they will become stronger extensions of your own selling efforts.
Since you've pegged your audience so well, you'll have no
trouble placing your well-written, reader-oriented article.
It can be done locally, regionally, nationally and possibly even internationally.
But don't expect miracles overnight. Editorial schedules
may mean your article won't appear for 3-6 months. Or it may be
used in a special issue on the subject, giving your product/
service further credence.
A steady and aggressive case history article program can
provide tremendous payback for the customers you write about as
well as your organization. And very quickly, you can become the
authority in a specific market segment.
Something that is often forgotten also is that the article
has a potential life after publication. In fact, the after-life
can be even more valuable to you than having the article
published.
As soon as the article appears, obtain reprint rights
from the publication. Reprints given out in the store, handed out at trade shows,
used by sales people during customer calls or direct
mailed to prospects, are excellent selling tools.
Again, they are letting someone else tell your story for
you. That someone is not only the customer but also the publi-
cation. The publication is "endorsing" your product/service
by implication with their coverage. Capitalize on that
"endorsement."
All you have to do to get started is to have good product/
services and fulfill your commitments to your customers. Then
work with your customers and let them tell the world how success-
fully you helped them.
# # #
A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
When a satisfied customer tells friends and business acquaintances
how great your products and/or services are, you have an immedi-
ate "in" with those few prospects.
The same is true when a publication prints a story about
how your customers solved a problem using your products or found
your services beneficial ... with one major difference--the read-
ership is in the thousands or hundreds of thousands.
Capitalizing on this kind of endorsement is not only good
business but necessary in order to compete in today's market.
Best of all, it works at every level of marketing--whether you're a manufacturer,
solutions provider, distributor or dealer--is in business to solve
problems for customers (individuals, groups, businesses).
With the growing list of promotional options available, it
makes good sense to examine your alternatives carefully and
complement or stretch your promotional dollars with as many cost-effective
methods as possible. After all, no one has an unlimited budget.
Advertising rates are high and going higher. Web site promotional
costs are being challenged as management searches for ROI questions. On top of
that, the effectiveness of all of these expenditure is being seriously challenged.
In addition, there's the problem of selecting the publica-
tions and/or media you want to carry your message. Despite the Web, the list of
publications available to you is growing, making your selection even more difficult.
For example, the computer industry alone now has more than 150 horizontal
and vertical market publications. The communications industry has about the same number and the Internet’s list is constantly expanding. In many markets, that's nearly one for every
manufacturer.
Your own community newspaper has also probably started a
computer section, adding to your selection/budget problems.
Personal sales calls aren't always the answer either--not
when a call is now exceeding $500. And the availability of top
sales people is definitely not improving.
In short, the marketing "buy-in" cost for your industry is
becoming almost prohibitive.
Rather than trying to "out advertise" the competition, you
need to cover as many of your target areas as possible, and as
cost-effectively as possible.
Several Marketing Messages
No organization--manufacturer, integrator of dealer--has
just one message it wants to communicate; it has a multitude.
There's a corporate message of quality, service and response.
Then there are market segment messages ... messages aimed at
doctors, architects, accountant, home owners, lawyers, IT managers, advertising
agencies, and every other industry you serve.
Advertising to all of them is beyond the scope of nearly
everyone's corporate budget. To ignore them leaves potential
sales on the table for your competition.
The key is to develop a balance in the markets and determine
how you can allocate your resources--money and time--to reach
these various markets.
One of the most effective and most cost-efficient methods
of reaching these vertical markets is through the use of case
history stories or third party endorsement articles.
Look at all of your trade magazines, business publications
and even the daily newspaper. They're literally filled with case
history stories. Ninety percent of the time these were initiated
by someone just like you who had a vested interest in getting a
message out to a particular audience.
Case In Point
Several years ago, we were carrying on a total campaign for
a firm that produced printer/plotters. We had a corporate advertising campaign aimed at general IT and network managers, system integrators and resellers.
We had a secondary PR campaign that included approach-to-problem, technology
and application articles for the trade press.
We also had a third campaign. Marketing would track where
units were sold and give us information about the organization. We would contact
that customer, develop an article on how and why the products were
being used, and place the article in specific industry as well
as general trade publications.
The result?
They sold one printer to a newspaper to be used for proof-
ing computer-generated copy. We wrote and placed the article.
It resulted in ten sales. Sales in six months doubled and then tripled in
the newspaper and publishing industry.
We did the same in the petroleum industry where a system
as sold to be used for plotting seismic data; similar results occurred.
In those tightly knit communities the company became known
as The Newspaper Proofer Company or the Seismic Plotting Company.
Once you've solved a problem for a customer, or a customer
has taken the initiative and solved his or her own problem, you have the
potential to duplicate sales to people in the same or similar market or
situation.
The opportunities are as close as your own files. When you lo-
cate these approach-to-problem situations, you have available one
of the most powerful marketing tools invented.
The case history is not only powerful but is really sought
after by the media ... local, regional and national. Through
the editorial pages you can begin telling others -- in the customer's/
user's own words -- how they solved a problem and improved
their own business. Covering this type of information is one of the prime reasons for any
publication to be in business ... help the readers do their jobs
better and more profitably.
Case histories are excellent for you because:
* They quickly inform the market of new and different solutions.
* They demonstrate your products and/or services in use.
* They illustrate a company's innovation.
* They show acceptance and experience in the marketplace.
* They add credibility and user benefits to your message.
* Properly handled, they encourage readers to relate solutions
to their own needs.
At the recent industry trade show, a software supplier approached
me about work we were doing for one of his competitors. The vice
president of marketing couldn't understand why the software had
so many great articles written about the product in the trade
media when his product had so many more features and did more.
I told him it wasn't any big secret. We just made it
easier for the editors to inform their readers how people in similar work
environments – their counterparts -- were solving certain problems. Coincidentally, the
the solution happened to be the use of our client's product. The marketing VP simply
shook his head and walked away.
It was just good marketing. We were filling a need. In
this instance, our market happened to be editors and their need
was to fill the space in their publications with meaningful,
interesting and useful articles.
We were filling the need much better than our “superior
Product” competitor.
Easy Steps
The development and placement of case history articles is
easy. The hard part is actually doing it.
First, define your goals.
If you ask questions based on your objectives before any
case history story is started, you'll rarely find yourself in the
awkward position of having to back out of the article halfway
through.
Questions To Ask Your Satisfied Customer
* Ask about the company, its place in the industry, size, etc.
* Why did they first need your products/services?
* How did they use the products/services?
* What was the most important feature to them?
* What can they do that they couldn't do before?
* How does the solution save time, money, and rejects?
* Could they accomplish the same with a competitive solution?
If not, how does your solution provide savings they couldn't
otherwise achieve? If so, why did they select your solution
over all others?
* What is the customer contact protocol? Who should clear and
approve the article?
* Of your products/services, on what did the customer draw upon
to solve their problem?
* Who was involved in the application?
Answers to these questions are available within the
customer's organization, but they do require some digging.
So dig. Go to the sources--the people who use your pro-
duct daily. They know the technical aspects of problems and
solutions. They can probably give you outstanding information
to make an interesting article. Since it will be a positive article on their firm.
their activities and the specific department/people; they are usually more than
willing to assist and work with you. Especially when they know they will be
able to review/approve the piece before it is placed.
Before you begin writing, consider who would be interested
in the article after you have all of the facts. This helps you
target and formulate the structure of your article. Ask the
following questions:
* Who do you want to interest?
* What types of publications do they read?
* What magazines in particular address this type of problem for
this type of reader?
* Are there perhaps two or three ways the article can be written
to appeal to other market segments?
Once you have all the facts and you're sure of the audi-
ence, you'll know what slant you will want to take in preparing
the article. But before you sit down at your terminal and begin
banging away, take a moment to outline the entire article. This
will help you pin down your priorities, keep the central theme
clear and make transitions smooth.
A good lead is mandatory. Your lead should first grab the
editor since you have to convince him or her to use the article. Then you have to grab the reader’s attention, stimulate his or her interest. Then introduce the slant or “news”
angle you want to pursue.
Typically, the article should give some introduction
to your solution, background on the subject, explain what the
initial problem or solution was, how the positive outcome came
about (this is where you introduce your product/service story), and then add a
closing that sums up the successful outcome and projects as to the future uses
the customer has for the product or service..
Once you've written your first draft, edit it for length
and clarity and pass it by several of your marketing/technical
people to make certain it presents the message you want to im-
part. You're almost ready to submit it for publication.
Once the article is written, make certain it is thoroughly
approved within the customer's location. That means it should
be circulated throughout their marketing department to ensure
that it properly presents their company as they wish.
If they don't get all of the approvals necessary, the arti-
cle may be published with erroneous information. Suddenly you're
the bad person in the situation.
Focus On Customer
Make certain the customer you will feature is doing an out-
standing job and has a good reputation in his industry. This
sounds simple, but it can often be overlooked in your zeal for
getting a good article on your products/services into print. If
the customer is a loser, what do you gain by teaming up with him?
The significance of a company name doesn't necessarily add
any value to your company or your product. There are more than
fourteen million firms across the U.S. and over 40 million around the globe that
are not in the Fortune 1000. That means more people will be able to relate
size, problem, solution and results with the "smaller" firm.
In addition, a relatively small or unknown organization may
have an outstanding application that creatively solves a problem
common to thousands of prospective customers. Few CEOs or senior managers
can associate the problems/solutions of a Fortune 1000 firm with their situation.
However, when the company being covered is a similar size and in a similar position
it is easier to see how the reader could possibly implement the same or similar solution.
Given the choice, go with the smaller or unknown customer every time.
First, they are going to be easier to deal with. Secondly, they
are going to want the exposure more and will assist you. Finally, they will become stronger extensions of your own selling efforts.
Since you've pegged your audience so well, you'll have no
trouble placing your well-written, reader-oriented article.
It can be done locally, regionally, nationally and possibly even internationally.
But don't expect miracles overnight. Editorial schedules
may mean your article won't appear for 3-6 months. Or it may be
used in a special issue on the subject, giving your product/
service further credence.
A steady and aggressive case history article program can
provide tremendous payback for the customers you write about as
well as your organization. And very quickly, you can become the
authority in a specific market segment.
Something that is often forgotten also is that the article
has a potential life after publication. In fact, the after-life
can be even more valuable to you than having the article
published.
As soon as the article appears, obtain reprint rights
from the publication. Reprints given out in the store, handed out at trade shows,
used by sales people during customer calls or direct
mailed to prospects, are excellent selling tools.
Again, they are letting someone else tell your story for
you. That someone is not only the customer but also the publi-
cation. The publication is "endorsing" your product/service
by implication with their coverage. Capitalize on that
"endorsement."
All you have to do to get started is to have good product/
services and fulfill your commitments to your customers. Then
work with your customers and let them tell the world how success-
fully you helped them.
# # #
A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU - To learn more about this author, visit Andy Marken's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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