Archive for the ‘Capability and Capacity’ Category

Are you unable to articulate a monetized value proposition and create sales ready messaging?

Not to worry. Here’s one way to remedy the situation.

I call it Customer Success Story Selling TM.

First, make success stories the primary vehicle to engage your audience and provide customers and prospects with reasons to believe you can give them what they need. Value already delivered, as opposed to promises, builds credibility.

Second, make it mandatory that everyone in your company memorizes at least three success stories.

Third, make a commitment to capturing past, present and future success stories of value received by your customers.

Don’t have them in writing? Don’t have one for each vertical market? Don’t have the facts and figures you need for a compelling story?

Here are just a few tips and techniques I shared in a recent workshop I did:

—Think problem/solution.

—Think contributions made and value received.

—Think about their positive outcomes.

—You must use $’s, %’s, #’s and time frames.

—Use action words like increase, improve, accelerate, enhance, maximize, minimize, save, cut, reduce, eliminate, motivate, revitalize.

—Get in the habit of asking your clients why they work with you. Your good clients will help you.

—Use the Internet to find long lost facts and figures to re-construct success stories from the past.

—Do not write or talk too much how you do what you do and nothing about how much you receive in compensation.

Here’s an added benefit: When everyone writes and speaks the language of success stories your sales and marketing people will finally be “reading from the same script”. They will literally and figuratively be telling the same story.

When you focus on customer success story selling your true value proposition will begin to reveal itself to you, your people and your target audience.

As a result, you will see an increase in referrals, sales calls and requests for proposals. You will see more people walking in the door. You will see an increase in the demand for your products and services.

Make sure you know if you have the capability (skills and experience) and capacity (time) to successfully launch a new product, penetrate a market segment or to start a new sales or advertising campaign. Answering the following resource needs assessment questions will give you a clear, quick and insightful look at your current status.

Capability: Skills & Experience

1. Do you have strategic thinkers around you?

2. Do you need help with discovering and communicating value?

3. Are you in the habit of looking for hidden revenue opportunities?

4. Do your people and your colleagues show initiative?

5. Are your people in constant need of direction?

6. Do you have the people on staff you need for the tasks at hand?

7. Can you identify all of the bridges and barriers to new business?

8. Are you saying the right things to the right people at the right time?

Capacity: Time

1. Are there projects that are just not getting started?

2. Are there projects that are not getting finished?

3. Are you or your people missing deadlines because of work load?

4. Are time constraints putting you at risk for costly mistakes?

5. Have the time to determine whether your team is in alignment?

6. Ever been too busy to do a “deep dive” for consumer insights?

7. Is there enough time to eliminate all obstacles to new business?

8. Do you have the time to maximize your competitive advantage?

The more people who complete these 16 questions the better.  We have a companion 2×2 matrix that will plot everyone’s score on your capability and capacity. It works for any organization. Large or small. Private, public or non-profit. Try it. It works.