Selling relief, not technology

If you've been down the path of touting technology, you're probably reaching for the Rolaids right now! The most common stumbling block in selling technology is failure to clearly identify the problem that needs to be solved for the customer.

Problem identification is especially key if you're trying to break into a new market niche. If you're entering a known market niche with a new product, you may be able to partially rely on the problem awareness created by early entrants. At a minimum, you'll need to show how you solved the problem better without stating it in technological terms. If the niche has not been successfully penetrated, there's a good chance that the early entrants have failed to create sufficient problem awareness.

The best way to build problem awareness in new markets is by describing how good the solution feels. Think about how many people would be unable to relate to the problem solved by the telephone prior to its invention. But suppose one of those skeptics had occasion to observe that a life was saved when minutes were critical simply because there was a phone connecting a home to the doctor.

The closer you can come to connecting with a problem or concern of your potential client, the simpler your sales cycle will become! (You might want to brush up on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs in the psychology annals. Relating to people at the lowest possible level of needs seems to work well!) In terms of redefining or extending a problem definition, let's take the cellular phone as a case in point. People can be stranded on the highway in an emergency situation, too. Only a change of venue was required to reinvent the same problem for the masses. Of course, appealing to the self-esteem (status) of the "boomer" generation was also an interesting and effective approach.

Consider for a moment the limited success that has been achieved by companies simply touting digital (as opposed to analog) technologies. If the problem has already been solved, market penetration is limited to those foolhardy enough to simply want the 'latest'. Digital technologies have been well-received on a broad scale only when they offer a better solution (e.g., noticeable quality improvements, quicker results, better coverage, lower costs, etc.), or when they solve a totally new problem.

Problems, problems....let's hope they don't go away!

Go back to the archive of tips!