Resources 
Use Messaging to Differentiate
|
It doesn’t take long for your products to become commodities. Get over it.
It doesn’t matter how special you think your products are. In the minds of your buyers you are just another “me too”. Innovations and technology are quickly copied. The only way to differentiate is your product positioning and messaging. Actions speak louder than words or, alternatively, customer experiences are what really attract the attention of new prospects. Does your positioning and messaging tell customer success stories or do you “we” all over yourself, you know – “we are the best, we do this, we promise that” and so forth. Companies that focus on customer experiences do much better in the marketplace than the feature focused. The ROI (Return on Impression) of your messaging can be measured in multiple ways including:
Studies consistently show that 90% of sales people offer a discount without even being asked. This has historically been an issue in sales and is prevalent for many companies in today’s economy. Sales people are more likely to discount when they feel they cannot justify the price of a product or when they “take the bait” and offer price to a buyer far too early in the sales process before they can build value in the eyes of the customer. Supplying sales with value building, customer focused positioning and messages can help keep excessive discounting from eroding your margins. Cross-selling and up-selling is a high profit, low cost of acquisition boost to revenue. These customers have already bought from you or plan to do so. They’ve already decided that your products can help them. Beware; competition can gain a foothold in your customer base when there is no perceived difference between your products and theirs in the eyes of your customer. Build value and differentiation by focusing your messaging on the reasons your products are the best choice for the customer. For many product companies their corporate web site is one of the best sources of sales leads. Customer case studies and success stories make websites sticky and communicate credibility in the minds of prospective customers. What does your web site say about your company and your products? Is it informative, interesting and professional? Product features are easy to imitate or replicate, however, your customer experiences are exclusively yours to share. Your web site is available to the marketplace at all times, make certain that it is effectively attracting new buyers for your products. Positioning messages and value statements that focus on customer scenarios that place more emphasis on “why” your product is valuable to the customer versus “what” your product does enhances brand recognition, product acceptance, and sales performance. No Comments  |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|