By Sid Chadwick, Chadwick Consulting, Inc. – 08/19/2022 Published in American Printer
“When confronted with two evils…. I prefer the one I haven’t tried yet…..!”………………………….Mae West
INTRODUCTION:
“Can we successfully differentiate ourselves to expected target customers….?”……is one of four critical questions asked by Amazon senior management - when considering a major initiative.
Amazon seems to know what they are doing.
Lack of a purposeful business development strategy, that supports a superior differentiation, is determining who does not survive evolving, fast-changing market conditions
Questions I try to ask, on the front end:
What are your capabilities.....whether or not your customers know them….. and whether or not you recognize and promote them….?
What projects and capabilities have you excelled producing….are you most proud having produced…did your customer(s) rave about …?
What products or services have grown the most….have the best margins….have been easiest to sell and promote….?
If we organize your customers by “customer category” (e.g., agencies vs. retail vs. manufacturers vs. packaging, etc.), and measure (a) their “value-added” contribution, and (b) profitability contribution, is there a discrepancy….? (Are some customer groups providing “higher value-added” vs. “profitability”.)
Who your organization pursues and develops as customers now – determines what your company looks like – two and three years from now….!
Who we pursue is who we sell……And direction is more important than speed.
Only a few organizations are specific, based on “performance analysis”, who they pursue, and who they don’t – and should not - pursue.
SUMMARY:
All dollars going through your organization are not equal.
Every time a prospect is pursued, a current customer is nurtured - your organization is investing its future.
Few sales trainers, sales training organizations, and marketers - are:
Conducting this type of frequent analysis, and then
Guiding their clients to public Databases – containing almost unlimited target prospects they should be pursuing….prospects whom they:
Have a history of successfully serving, with
Higher margins, higher growth potential, and new customers’ revenues….!
There’s almost always a better way to invest precious dollars… into Business Development.
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world…are the ones who do….”……………Steve Jobs
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