relevance + timeliness + accuracy this presentation © 2011 richard hurn, all rights reserved - -...

Relevance + Timeliness + Accuracy

This presentation © 2011 richard hurn, all rights reserved - - email [email protected] - - for references linkedin.com/in/richardhurn - - for career portfolio richardhurn.com

7 Steps that assure customers will perceive your

value-add in today’s cluttered and confused market space

"If you can frame how people think about their problems, you’re half way to selling them“

- - Jakob Nielsen, Ph.D. (web architect, useability guru)

information design engineered to build market value



moving beyond feature selling to capture customer interest with content engineered to engage



Sales messages are called a “Pitch”for good reasons . . .

Crafting Targeted Market MessagesCrafting Targeted Market Messages

Want to reach your customers’ strike zone on every pitch you make?



Then sell them solutions to their needs

To confidently target the customer strike zone,develop market messaging that immediately resonates with client need

Crafting Targeted Market MessagesCrafting Targeted Market Messages



Why isn’t this obvious . . . ?because it’s not all about you!

Small technology-driven firms too oftenare focused on their tech & it’s features – becoming myopic about client needs . . .

In today’s cluttered & impatient market, pitches must compel customer urgency – must target their hot buttons – and show them how your solution will satisfy their pressing concerns

Targeted Market MessagesTargeted Market Messages



Your website, PR, ad or email has 30 seconds to capture customer recognition, build interest, and engage lead generation

can you establish a business rapport that bonds their attention to your pitchbefore they decide you are not relevant to their pressing business needs?

Targeted Market MessagesTargeted Market Messages



Commit to becoming your customers’strategic business partner

Present your product / service solution as an essential enabler of your prospects’ core business goals

Make the investment in time to build effective outbound messaging – two week’s foundation building will yield years of revenue gain

Targeting Market MessagesTargeting Market Messages

#7#6#5#4#3#2#1seven proven steps



Learn, Profile, & DefineUnderstand the market drivers that shape

your clients’ purchase decision:

Interview friendly clients about what shapes their purchase decisions, use stealth to learn why others buy from your competitors

Capture field intelligence from your sales forceabout what triggers interest, which niches are buying

Research current market trends, understand themes that are driving client expectations for excellence

List clients’ key fears, uncertainties & doubts (FUD) that drive their purchase decisions


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Define the Target Zone

Write a “Positioning Platform” - define how your tech’s features can deliver business solutions supporting a client’s revenue goals(click for RH sample Platform on Slideshare)

Identify your competitive differentiators,Why should a client listen to me vs, others?

Now test your pitch on a friendly customer – does he believe your pitch has value for him?Work it until you get enthusiastic feedback.


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Author your company’s Value PropositionNow craft the verbiage that sells –

write the pitch using your client’s street language, their FUD drivers, & your thought leadership supporting key market trends. Exercise educational selling, avoid jargon.

Typically author the complete value prop in a comprehensive business case whitepaper click for RH sample B-Case

Then build focused pitches from the B-case text for:+ PowerPoints + Website + Press Releases+ Magazine Feature Stories + Application Notes+ Trade Show Displays + Email Campaigns

Consider segmenting your pitch according to vertical markets, tailoring pitches for separate application niches


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Don’t make your customer work hard . .

Figure out your value advantage. Pre-digest your benefits & differentiators for them.

They will not take the time to figure out how your tech’s feature set is important

Once they believe you offer them value, then they will followup reading your spec sheetsto learn how your tech works


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Provide 3 Concrete ReasonsWhy Anyone Should Believe Your Pitch

Validate your legitimacy to instantly build confidence - essential before prospects will engage

3 Referenceable Customer Testimonials

Satisfied Customer Logos

Application Notes detailing customer need / challenge, your solution, and the ROI customers realized – better uptime, lower OPEX / CAPEX, improved service & support for his customers? click for three RH appnote samples


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Stick with your Target Zone

Stay “on message” for the next 18 months

Rehearse all sales staff to deliver this pitch

Refine, update OK -but outbound messaging must “soak” in the clients’ mind, consistently imprinted before your pitch will become recognized as your solution brand

Change it up too often and you sacrifice brand integrity, inviting market confusion


#7#6#5#4#3#2#1



Click on a brochure image for samples of targeted copywriting & educational selling

Video Network Transport Multiplexer

Video Network Service Assurance

Next-Gen WiFi Mesh Networks

authoring message content engineered to engage – since 1980



Click on website samples below for customer-targeted copywriting and educational selling

Niche selling of Wide-Area WiFi applications

Passive Optical Network Transport Equipment

Best-Practices for Engineering DSL Networks

World-Class Marketing Results

authoring message content engineered to engage – since 1980

Authoring, designing, producing, animatingand maintaining four corporate websites since 2000

relevance + timeliness + accuracy this presentation © 2011 richard hurn, all rights reserved - -...

Documents

richard hurn

career portfolio

references linkedin

market value slide

impatient market

market messaging

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confused market space