by Hans Fuller
That’s a great story you just told me. I think I’m ready to buy.
I bet that when you get in front of a customer, you win the sale more often than not, right? So how do we tell the story to 10 others? Does it mean 10 days and 10 plane tickets? Does telling it to 1,000 others mean 1,000 days and 1,000 plane tickets?
We need to find another way. We need to find unique methods and new tools.
by Hans Fuller
It’s ironic that much of the discussion about marketing using technology circles back to the importance of content. Now that our information is available to anyone, anytime, anywhere, our customers expect to feel like they’re the only ones that matter at the exact moment they choose to engage.
The good news is that content does and always will matter. The bad news is that broad-brush approaches designed for all occasions are no longer sufficient.
As we embrace technology and optimize tools for our specific objectives, we can’t stop there. Our customers will give us high marks for being progressive, but only if the stories we tell are at least as innovative as the tools we use to tell them.
by Hans Fuller
Sometimes we aim our second shot based on where our first one hit. Until we actually pull the trigger, we don’t really know if all of our preparation, practice and aiming will result in improved accuracy.
When trying to hit the moving target of mobile technologies for our salespeople and customers, consider firing a test shot or two. If we instead wait for the perfect shot, we may regret that we spent too much time aiming and not enough time shooting (and yes, perhaps missing).
Let’s start small and narrow and cheap. Let’s experiment with a limited audience. Let’s test our assumptions and see how close we can get to the results we wanted. It can only serve to improve our aim for the next shot.
by Hans Fuller
What will the fiscal year bring in terms of impactful technologies that will help you sell and market in the digital age? If you already know the answer to that, call your stock broker. The rest of us, however, should create a new budget category called ‘emerging technologies.’
One day, when the needs of your business and technology converge, the sun will shine on you. On that sunny day will you be in a position to move forward? Or will you add this year’s technology to next year’s budget?
by Hans Fuller
Economic times have forced us to do more with less. But maybe your business is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s time to consider doing more with more. Not a lot more…just enough to show your customers (and your employees) that you’re on the offensive.
Will you be the first to make a move among your competitors? Compared to hiring new people or continuing to spend on the same old techniques with the same old questionable ROI, a few judiciously chosen technology projects can provide a lot of bang for the buck and position you as the aggressor in your industry.
by Hans Fuller
A few words for you to consider, pass on, or ignore as you see fit…
Eager to apply technology? Then consider it last
Sounds counterintuitive, but the easiest way to choose the right technology to help tell your story is to make the technology decision last. First, answer these questions:
Try it out on your most pressing B2B communication need. The answers will guide you…to the web, to develop a smartphone app, or to a face-to-face selling tool.
The answers to these simple questions will help you define the technology and avoid choosing a technology first, then trying to make it fit.
by Hans Fuller
It may be an exaggeration to say that our offering is so different from our competitor’s that it’s like comparing apples to oranges. If we concede that we’re both selling apples, then winning the sale often depends on our ability to communicate specific differences. Highlight the subtleties and tell the story with tools that lead customers through a close comparison:
+ Show a video of a customer that tried both and liked yours better
+ Contrast images of product construction. Point out which features are related to your patented technology
+ Present an explanation of how you’ll support the purchase. The products may seem similar, but it’s your service that will make them happy they chose you
We can win the sale by embracing an apples to apples comparison. If asserting that your competitors are picking from the wrong orchard is unrealistic, make sure your people are equipped and willing to compare your apples to any other apples out there.
by Hans Fuller
I’d love to do a demo for you, but my product is too big (network services). Too small (microchips). Too complicated to set up (manufacturing line). Too abstract (insurance policy). Too concrete (real estate).
Customers don’t even expect us to demo these kinds of things. So what would happen if we could?
Picture an animation of server traffic being rerouted. Microscope images of imperfect wafer bonds. Video of equipment running in a similar plant halfway around the world. Property owners expressing relief that they can rebuild. A virtual tour of an available warehouse space.
Even if you can’t always demonstrate your product on short notice, there are countless ways to demo the risk and reward associated with any buying decision
by Hans Fuller
They get credit for knowing the industry (but we know it better). They say that they did it first (when we all know it was us). They claim to have a track record, unmatched support, subject matter experts and endless satisfied customers. But we know that we’re better at all of those things.
How frustrating. Our competitors are spinning a tale better than we’re telling the truth! We don’t need to invent the truth, we just need to tell it better. Modern technology offers unprecedented opportunities to convey the value we provide. Let’s use mobile tools to set the record straight and not give our competition the chance to steal our story.
by Hans Fuller
Remember your last technology purchase? Was it the latest flat panel TV? A new tablet or smartphone? Lucky you. Feels like technology is changing so rapidly that we can have that excitement once a month forever.
Our apps can be a continuous source of excitement and productivity as well. Canned apps are plentiful, but are less likely to satisfy since their one-size-fits-all design typically doesn’t address our specific needs.
Custom apps, on the other hand, can be an ongoing source of conversation and utility. There’s no substitute for a purpose-built tool that users experience and after doing so, can become instrumental to future improvement and function.
Our apps can generate steady increases in productivity if we design, deploy and iterate with the expectation that novelty is sustainable.