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You will never find time for anything. If you want the time, you must make it.
- Charles Buxton

Moving into my Strategy Note, this one was inspired by something I read by Seth Godin in one of his recent books (Linchpin). Enjoy!

Ted Smith's
"Real World" Business Strategy
The Problem is The Answer
Nobody is looking to buy something to solve a problem they don't think they have.

However, one of the big problems I see in how people market to ME (and, of course, in how they market generally) is that they jump right into features and benefits without first understanding and/or speaking to whether the prospect thinks they have a problem needing a solution.

The challenge is this: if a prospect hasn't had their identity stolen, they don't really think there's an issue with having their personal identification details all over the web. They won't wake up in the morning dreaming about how to solve it, or go to bed wondering how much it's costing them (or would cost them) to ignore it.

And so the marketing challenge is to sell the problem. Which, of course, is what drove LifeLock™ to so much success.

Here's the thing: many people don't actually see that they have a problem unless they also believe that there's a solution ... so part of selling a problem is hinting that there's a solution that others are using, or is right around the corner.

Imagine, for example, getting the information about the toxicity levels of carpets after a certain age. If you knew that your carpet was X years old, and you were suddenly confronted with compelling data that, as a result, you were exposing your family to much higher levels of infections and sickness--voila. You now have a product with demand (carpet cleaning). But your prospect also then needs to see that there is a valid solution, in order to be willing to accept and deal with the problem--which, of course, is where your product (or service) then comes in.

And for the business-to-business realm, when a prospect comes to the table and says, "We have a problem," then you're both working together to solve it--which, of course, is a completely different sales environment--and one which you want your marketing to continually provoke.

On the other hand, if they're talking with you simply because you're persistent and/or charming, the only problem they have is, "how can I end this quickly?".

I'm personally dedicated to the success of your business--and your sales, Ted! Can other accounting professionals say that?

Warmly,

Ted Smith