{"id":56223,"date":"2018-10-21t09:22:41","date_gmt":"2018-10-21t13:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=56223"},"modified":"2018-10-31t14:19:21","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31t18:19:21","slug":"marketing-products-vs-service-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2018\/10\/21\/marketing-products-vs-service-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"when you’re selling product, not hours"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>winning in niches gets easier, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n by jody padar<\/i> product marketing is so different than selling service hours. it\u2019s easier to teach to your employees.<\/p>\n more on radicalism:<\/b> top 20 social media hacks to build your business<\/a> | four rules for setting boundaries in a social and mobile world<\/a> | blockchain: the basics<\/a> | technology + transparency = transformation<\/a> | 5 ways to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace<\/a> | goals, goals, goals<\/a> | happy tax: why you need to know its name<\/a> | product management meets strategy<\/a> why? because there are advantages to selling a product. if we\u2019re selling correctly, we\u2019re ultimately anchored in the customer\u2019s \u201cgap,\u201d which is the gap between where they are today and where they want to be tomorrow. we\u2019re selling based on solving measurable, tangible, urgent business problems.<\/p>\n also, if we have customized our personas correctly, the customer naturally wants to buy because the product fits them and it is sold as such, as opposed to us saying, \u201ci am a cpa and i can help you with accounting and tax.\u201d what does that even mean?<\/p>\n is there a defined outcome or a deliverable that is tangible and valuable to a customer besides a compliance-based document?<\/p>\n of course.<\/p>\n but i would argue that our customers are not convinced based on our poor sales process. if we were good at defining and delivering on value, our fees would not be subject to the scrutiny they currently are today. the value would be apparent.<\/p>\n it\u2019s also easier for the team to understand the value gap; when they do, they can better explain it and ultimately sell it.<\/p>\n they also begin to understand their value, and how to step back and say, \u201cthis work is above and beyond the original scope,\u201d and to price for it separately and potentially define a new product offering. it\u2019s just easier to sell a complete solution rather than a billable hour of time that has no defined end.<\/p>\n when you productize your offering, it is easier to sell in a channel. when you define and create channel sales you have the opportunity to grow faster because of those channel sales. referrals are always good, but isn\u2019t it exponentially better to receive referrals from a technology channel partner?<\/p>\n when you have a productized service offering, you can develop thought leadership within that technology vendor\u2019s channel. that can greatly increase your sales much quicker than one-off referrals. and because you have standardized everything, it is easy to assimilate this growth into your firm because of all the processes you have created for your specific offerings.<\/p>\n selling to niches becomes easier as well because your persona matches perfectly to the niches\u2019 needs. when you can match their exact need, speak in their words and bring the solution to their problem, that becomes a powerful growth option. add a little thought leadership, show up where the customer lives both online and offline, and not only can you sell your solution, you can increase its price as well, because a specialist can always command a higher price than a generalist based on value and expertise.<\/p>\n the choice becomes yours if you want to only serve a specific niche and create a boutique firm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\nproduct solutions offer a uniform solution to customers’ problems. if you sell product solutions, you sell identical versions to numerous customers. you may offer advanced or improved versions of products, but even those remain very similar to each other. your prospects can evaluate features before they buy, and if you do not sell to one prospect, you can try to sell the same item to another prospect. when you sell a product, you can focus more on selling than on customizing the product. if you are unable to explain your business and know the value of what you sell then it doesn\u2019t matter what you sell.<\/p>\n