Value Beyond Technology

Have you ever heard the saying, "He could sell snow to Eskimos"? This saying speaks to the ability of the salesman to get somebody to buy his product even when it provides no benefit to the customer. Here is another saying, "The products are flying off the shelf. They practically sell themselves". This saying stands in stark contrast to the first. Which saying would you like to have working for you?

Selling snow - what is key here is the amount of effort it normally takes to sell snow to Eskimos. This effort can be represented in the amount of money that is spent on advertising, marketing brochures, TV commercials, etc., as well as the sluggish sales, excessive product stock sitting on the shelfs, and the lack of Eskimos in our store. The required effort is too hard for the average person.

Flying off the shelf - here it is clear that something has taken place. There is no mention of exceptional or unethical salesmanship. Products are not mis-matched with the customer (snow - Eskimos), and yet customers are in the store buying the product. They want what you have.

While I have somewhat oversimplified the above two scenarios, they do accurately represent two different approaches to marketing. The better solution is to match your product  and marketing to the appropriate customer. Once your product, marketing efforts, and customer are all in alignment, beautiful things happen!

Next week, I will cover some ways to help define just who your target market really is!