Marketing Savvy and Customer Focus

As we look at probable future challenges, I feel comfortable with the following predictions: competition in the marketplace will get keener; decision makers will become sharper and more discriminating; and margin pressure will continue to impact our profitability. As we go forward, it will be necessary for us to carefully and strategically sort out our options as to how we go to market. How we address the issues of discounting, taking our creative selling efforts to new levels and maintaining our position as viable and profitable organizations, must be a high priority.

I am often asked if I would rather be selling a product of the highest quality and offering the best service at an upper level price or selling a product of marginal quality with mediocre service at a much lower price. I will take the former over the latter every time. People are more willing to pay for quality than they have ever been. They just are not willing to endure the hassle that goes along with the compromises in quality and service. It is easier to explain price once than to apologize for quality forever.

In our attempts to assess the mindset of today¼s buyers, we find that people in practically every industry want problem-free products and services that do the job for them without requiring additional time and money to solve quality problems. You are usually dealing with sophisticated buyers who know the significant cost of unanticipated problems.

There are five types of differentiation salespeople should be aware of: product, price, service, relationship and process. Do everything in your power to creatively differentiate in any manner other than discounting. Get in your customers¼ faces and serve them to death. Make sure that everybody in the decision loop knows that none of your competitors compare to your creative factors of differentiation.

Don¼t give away your margin; give away your heart. Give your heart away through extraordinary service and simple caring. Your heart will only get bigger when you give it away. Give away your margin, and you will be mortgaging your future.

ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DON HUTSON

Visit Don's website at http://www.donhutson.com

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