OK, so everyone’s starting to get on this “offer them solutions, not products” bandwagon. We see it everywhere we go now in the marketing of services and products.
When we hear the term, it implies that we are addressing problems rather than opportunities, doesn’t it? I mean, if I was to tell you that you could now solarize your gate opener and no longer need to run a wire, it would work even in a power outage and you would save the cost of electricity…is that an opportunity to do things better or is it a solution to a problem?
The term solution implies something negative, whereas opportunities has a more positive connotation. If indeed solar is going to bring you an opportunity to improve your life, then should we not also market that way?
Fact is that solar either is like vitamins for your battery, or completely replaces other power sources like generators for your RV or cottage or boat. In either case, we should focus on how it improves your life, rather than solutions to problems.
Frankly, I’m on the fence of this paradigm change but I could use some input…comments welcome!
Tata for now,
Sass
2 Comments
Certainly it’s good to be positive rather than negative. So if it works, then go for it. Opportunities rather than solutions – well, I guess it depends on the situation.
One theory of selling is to look for people with ‘pain’ and then offer them a cure – in other words, a solution. If your products and services offer such a cure for pain, then I think you have an easier path.
Perhaps that’s the way to plan your selling activity. First make sure you’ve covered all the people with pain because they’re the easier sales and you can try to get some fast revenues. Likely once they know about you, then they’ll buy if your product is any good.
Phase 2 is then to go after all those who might benefit from an opportunity. Likely you’ll need to go through that series of contacts that people talk about before clinching the sale.
In either case you should be applying all the other marketing processes to spread the word, so that people are ideally looking for you rather than the other way around.
Mr. Welford makes good points about the two approaches operating at different stages of customer engagement.
I know as a consumer, I buy appropriate “solutions” more readily, but I almost have to move into the “opportunity” mindset before I start to feel the excitement for which you hoped (in your Sept 26 blog about the Herbal Essence ad ).
If you’re interested, I have a few thoughts about sources of this excitement.
Maureen from Egmont, BC