A critical marketing decision: "To sell intelligence...or just items"
A critical marketing decision: "To sell intelligence...or just items"
Organizations that actively sell intelligence provide six areas of acumen:
1. Realities. This refers to market facts of great importance; so for instance if you decided to buy company shares you would need to learn about which organizations are consistently performing well, etc. Therefore, you either sell intelligence of great value to the market or you don’t…and if you don’t, you are depriving customers and prospects of a key motive for doing business with you!
2. Reasons. This relates to the causes of good and bad market performance, which confirms that you know what you are talking about and have insights of value to customers and prospects.
3. Rewards. This concerns the higher levels of achievements that are possible for customers. The market is only attracted to much better results, not ‘product features’…although they will be interested in features once they are seduced by the benefits available.
4. Risks. This issue is all about what happens when customers and prospects fail to move forward towards ‘rewards’. When faced with a health solution, patients are usually informed by their doctors about what will happen if they do nothing or opt for a lesser course of action…and the market also needs to be enlightened and frightened about taking the wrong action, or no action at all.
5. Rationale. This is the presentation of ideas and strategies for achieving the rewards outlined. This form of information must involve radical moves and not a predictable, conservative agenda. The market also needs evidence at this point that the ideas and strategies have produced much improved results for other customers.
6. Reassurance. This matter is often forgotten in the sales process and it pertains to helping the customer or prospect to buy in a safe and successful manner. For example, what if the customer is worried about cost, or concerned about his relationship with another supplier? It is critical for us to offer intelligence here that the customer finds supportive and acceptable.
There is little or no intelligence in products, unless your offering is new and breathtaking. For example, what do you know of ‘the workings’ of your television or mobile phone…and what do you care about such information? Intelligence is delivered by leading companies and sales people, and they actively obtain the intelligence from one place: the market!
There is one additional ‘R’ factor that is critical before intelligence can be sold, and that concerns your attitude to those you sell to. We must assume that all customers and prospects have possession of modern products, and they are likely to be quite happy with both the products they buy, and the suppliers they buy from. It is vital then to show ‘Respect’ for current arrangements, and to make it clear that you sell opportunities, not overheads!
A critical marketing decision To sell intelligenceor just items - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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‘Intelligence’, of course, relates to acumen, insights, information, ideas and strategies, and ‘items’ refers to things, objects, stuff…and, in the commercial world, products. Companies or individual business people that only sell items are condemned to an area of competition where the winners are usually the cheapest suppliers…or ‘those that are in’. The reason for this is that there are no shortages of product items in the business community. Intelligence on the other hand is scarce to say the least, and this human quality is the reason for business progress and success, while ignorance – which is the opposite to intelligence – is the main cause of corporate failure. In business, ignorance is not bliss, it is a continuous and ruinous form of misfortune and despair! The lesson for all of us is this: we must sell intelligence and charge for items (our products or services).
Organizations that actively sell intelligence provide six areas of acumen:
1. Realities. This refers to market facts of great importance; so for instance if you decided to buy company shares you would need to learn about which organizations are consistently performing well, etc. Therefore, you either sell intelligence of great value to the market or you don’t…and if you don’t, you are depriving customers and prospects of a key motive for doing business with you!
2. Reasons. This relates to the causes of good and bad market performance, which confirms that you know what you are talking about and have insights of value to customers and prospects.
3. Rewards. This concerns the higher levels of achievements that are possible for customers. The market is only attracted to much better results, not ‘product features’…although they will be interested in features once they are seduced by the benefits available.
4. Risks. This issue is all about what happens when customers and prospects fail to move forward towards ‘rewards’. When faced with a health solution, patients are usually informed by their doctors about what will happen if they do nothing or opt for a lesser course of action…and the market also needs to be enlightened and frightened about taking the wrong action, or no action at all.
5. Rationale. This is the presentation of ideas and strategies for achieving the rewards outlined. This form of information must involve radical moves and not a predictable, conservative agenda. The market also needs evidence at this point that the ideas and strategies have produced much improved results for other customers.
6. Reassurance. This matter is often forgotten in the sales process and it pertains to helping the customer or prospect to buy in a safe and successful manner. For example, what if the customer is worried about cost, or concerned about his relationship with another supplier? It is critical for us to offer intelligence here that the customer finds supportive and acceptable.
There is little or no intelligence in products, unless your offering is new and breathtaking. For example, what do you know of ‘the workings’ of your television or mobile phone…and what do you care about such information? Intelligence is delivered by leading companies and sales people, and they actively obtain the intelligence from one place: the market!
There is one additional ‘R’ factor that is critical before intelligence can be sold, and that concerns your attitude to those you sell to. We must assume that all customers and prospects have possession of modern products, and they are likely to be quite happy with both the products they buy, and the suppliers they buy from. It is vital then to show ‘Respect’ for current arrangements, and to make it clear that you sell opportunities, not overheads!
A critical marketing decision To sell intelligenceor just items - To learn more about this author, visit John Lees's Website.
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager'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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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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