Post on 21-Jan-2015
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© 2011
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
The Invisible Customer
Steve Robins
June 9, 2012
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p2 © 2009-2012
Which of the following will drive the greatest success for your company?
1. Advanced technologies?
2. Great locations?
3. A strong customer base?
4. Low prices?
5. Cost-effective manufacturing?
6. Creative marketing?
7. Great messaging?
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p3 © 2009-2012
Which of the following will drive the greatest success for your company?
1. Advanced technologies?
2. Great locations?
3. A strong customer base?
4. Low prices?
5. Cost-effective manufacturing?
6. Creative marketing?
7. Great messaging?
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p4 © 2009-2012
Serenity Hotel
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p5 © 2009-2012
What if…
!
I wish…
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p6 © 2009-2012
• Provide a solution methodology for Marketing
• Discipline, rigor, consistency – best practices
• Help Marketing to work with Sales
• How:
• Solution Marketing Blog
• LinkedIn Group
Steve Robins
Senior Director of Marketing, FirstBest Systems
Founder, The Solution Marketing Blog, Top-rated solution marketing blog
10+ years in solution marketing
– Expertise in solution, industry and product marketing
– Experience: FirstBest Systems, Solution Marketing Strategies, EMC Documentum, KANA, The Yankee Group
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p7 © 2009-2012
Agenda
The invisible customer
Why customers matter
The visible customer, enabled through – Listening
– Customer perspective
– Totality
– 360 Discovery
– Solution Marketing
Next steps
Summary
Questions
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p8 © 2009-2012
Current & Prospective Customers
User Manager C-Level Purchasing Channel
and others
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
The Invisible Customer
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Communication Challenges
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p11 © 2009-2012
Communication Challenges
That might be useful
Company Customer
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p12 © 2009-2012
Communication Challenges
How can we help you?
Πώς μπορώ να λύσει το πρόβλημά μου;
Company Customer
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p13 © 2009-2012
Communication Challenges
How can we help you?
Πώς μπορώ να λύσει το πρόβλημά μου;
Company Customer
#$%&@!
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p14 © 2009-2012
Communication Challenges
How can we help you?
Πώς μπορώ να λύσει το πρόβλημά μου;
Company Customer
#$%&@! I need: Features Features Features
OK. We’ll give you: Features Features Features
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Focus on Internal Core Competencies
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Internal Core Competencies
Research
Engineering
Manufacturing
Knowledge
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Focus on the New New Thing
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p18 © 2009-2012
Distraction with New Technologies
Customer
Shiny New
Thing
Company
I don’t need that X
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p19 © 2009-2012
“Many innovators are so enamored with technology that they lose sight of what is really important – what people want from technology, not what it can actually do”
-Carl Franklin Why Innovation Fails
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Intermediaries
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p21 © 2009-2012
Intermediaries
You Customer Sales
Service…
My problem is…
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p22 © 2009-2012
Intermediaries
Customer External
Experts
My problem is…
You Sales
Service…
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p23 © 2009-2012
Intermediaries
Customer External
Experts
Inter-
mediaries You
Sales
Service…
My problem is…
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p24 © 2009-2012
New Customers Add to the Confusion
Company Customers
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Lack of Depth
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Customer
Purchases
Feature needs
Business needs
Biz challenges
Industry trends
Career challenges
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Customer Lifecycle
Mature customer
New customer
Prospect
Lead
Suspect
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Offer
Product
Partner products
Services
Data
etc
Product .
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Value Chain
Product
Delivery
Sales
Marketing
Manufacturing
Engineering
Research/
Design
Service Sell &
Partner
Market Engineer &
Produce
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Customers Matter
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p31 © 2009-2012
Visible Customers = Visible Gains
Revenue is driven by customers
New market opportunities
Deep customer loyalty
Lower “pivot” risk
Fewer customer service issues
Competitive differentiation
Fewer technology surprises
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p32 © 2009-2012
The Satisfaction Gap
Will come
back
20-40%
Will not come back
60-80%
Customers who say they’re satisfied Source: The Cult of the Customer, Shep Hyken
“Satisfied
Customers”
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p33 © 2009-2012
“Your truly loyal customers will not only buy from you but also do much of your selling for you. They will become your advocates!”
- Shep Hyken The Cult of the Customer
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p34 © 2009-2012
Wireless industry: loyalty leaders outperformed loyalty laggards by 173%
Loyalty Laggards
Loyalty Leaders Walker Information 2007,
as described in
The Cult of the Customer
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p35 © 2009-2012
http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/secrets/secrets_of_tuned_in_leaders.pdf
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p36 © 2009-2012
Profitability Speed to Mkt Likelihood to lead Customer Sat
Market Tuned In Leaders
+31%
2x Faster
2x likely
to lead
+20%
Tuned in Companies Are More Successful
Data:
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p37 © 2009-2012
Today’s Goal: Increase Customer Visibility
User Manager C-Level Purchasing Channel
and others
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p38 © 2009-2012
360 Degree Discovery
360
Solution Marketing
Price
Customer Perspective
Totality
Listening
Customer Visibility
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p39 © 2009-2012
Listening
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p40 © 2009-2012
Where to Listen
• 1:1/small groups
Customer site
Sales calls
Phone interviews
Win/loss interviews
• Larger groups
Conferences, shows, user groups
Customer, executive and advisory councils
Surveys
Focus groups
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p41 © 2009-2012
Listen For
• Process
• Challenges
• Unmet needs
• How they think, personal drivers
• Environment
• Feedback that goes against your assumptions
Listening Tips
• Speak the customer’s language
• Consider the whole person
• They provide challenges and you develop solutions
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p42 © 2009-2012
Totality
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p43 © 2009-2012
Total Person
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p44 © 2009-2012
Services
Total Solution
Customer
---
Pain
Points
Tech-nology
User
Process
Content/ Data
Complete Solution Everything to solve the customer’s problem
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p45 © 2009-2012
Total Customer Experience
Research/
Design
Service Sell &
Partner
Market Engineer &
Produce
What happens in one place
affects everything else
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p46 © 2009-2012
Customer Perspective
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p47 © 2009-2012
Competition
Technology
Innovation
Strategy
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p48 © 2009-2012
360o Discovery
What markets and solutions should we
target?
How will we educate and engage with potential
users and buyers?
How will we incorporate and communicate value?
How would the user/buyer like to buy and use the
solution?
What will each solution do and include?
Internal
• Revenue
• Current offerings
• Core competencies
• Solution maturity
• Sales-readiness
External
• Under-solved challenges
• Top market, solution opportunities
• Segment size
• Market drivers
• Competition
Persona
• Titles
• Business challenges
• Career goals
• Thought process
How to connect
• “Hang-outs” – communication channels, pubs, trade shows, social media
• Industry jargon
• Influence levers (ex case studies?)
Value
• Before/after process
• Before/after challenge/gain
• Customer’s value drivers - dollar impact
• ROI
• Purchasing habits, budget
Access
• Best channels
• Optimal role of VARs, SIs, direct sales, buying on contract
• Preferred delivery models… Software? SaaS? Business Process Outsourcing?
• Requirements for customer success
Solution Requirements
• Revenue opportunity
• Use cases
• Business challenges
• Industry/function trends
• Key components
• Buy vs build
• Testing
Customer
Value
Solution
Access
Solution
Development
Portfolio
Strategy
User & Buyer
Personas
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p49 © 2009-2012
Key Participants in the Buying Decision
Functional VP Approves budget
Delegates details
“Will this improve my
bottom line?”
Strategist Business owner
Identifies problem/need
“How will this improve
efficiency and
effectiveness”
IT Innovation Manager/
Developer Business analyst
Specs and evaluates
“What’s the best system
we should use?”
Consultant Advises company and
recommends new strategies
“How does compare to
other options?”
User Manages projects
“How will this help to do
my job better?
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p50 © 2009-2012
Personas
General Persona #1: The VP/Director of Marketing
Typical title VP/Director of Marketing
Department Marketing
Background/ experience
Matured through the ranks of marketing
Personality Leader
Aggressive
Day-to-day job
Lead large team
Manage budget
Build and execute marketing strategy
Top business goals Create and maintain a strong brand that generates interest
Generate leads
Challenges Doing it all within a limited budget
Solution needs
Clear ROI
Easy to use
Competitively priced
Ab
ou
t m
e W
hat
I’m
th
inki
ng
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p51 © 2009-2012
Place
Product
Pro- motion
Price
Company
Solution Marketing – All About the Customer
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p52 © 2009-2012
Strategy, Metrics
Place
Product
Pro- motion
Price
Company
Solution Marketing – All About the Customer
Customer
---
Pain
Points
Solution
Access Education
Engagement
Value
End-to-End Marketing for Today Customer-Focused Marketing
“How can I solve
my problem?”
“How can I
learn more
about it?”
“How will it help me and
what is my total investment
to get this solution?”
“Where can
I find it?”
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p53 © 2009-2012
Value = Benefit - Cost
$D
oll
ars
Value
© 2011 www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p54 © 2009-2012
$494
$594
$694
$794
$894
$994
$1,094
14
19
24
29
34
39
Mar '10 Jun '10 Sep '10 Dec '10 Mar '11 Jun '11 Sep '11 Dec '11 Mar '12
Re
ve
nu
e (
$ M
illi
on
s)
Su
bs
cri
be
rs (
Mil
lio
ns
)
Unique subcribers Revenue
Invisible Customer
Subscriber trend Revenue trend Stock price
Sources: NetFlix, Google
$75
$107
$155
$176
$238
$263
$113
$69
$115
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p55 © 2009-2012
Getting Started
1. Begin internal discovery
2. Know the customer
3. Define the business problem
4. Move from feature/benefit business value
5. Think about solution completeness
6. Bonus: how are market/tech forces changing solution requirements?
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p56 © 2009-2012
360 Degree Discovery
360
Solution Marketing
Price
Customer Perspective
Totality
Listening
Customer Visibility
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p57 © 2009-2012
Thank You
LinkedIn.com/in/SteveRobins1
Twitter.com/SteveRobins
SolutionMarketingBlog.com
robins [at] firstbest [dot] com
FirstBest Systems
213 Burlington Rd
Bedford, MA 01730
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Steve robins
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p58 © 2009-2012
Take the Next Step
Solution Marketing Pros LinkedIn Group
linkedin.com/groups? gid=1826720
THE Solution Marketing
Blog
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
© 2009-2012 The Solution Marketing Blog
Thank You!
© THE Solution Marketing Blog, 2011
Backup Slides
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com p61 © 2009-2012
Market Adoption
Early Adopters
Visionaries
Innovators
Technology
Enthusiasts
Early Majority/
Pragmatists
Late Majority
Conservatives
Laggards
Skeptics
Time
Customers want technology
and performance Customers want solutions and convenience
Rela
tive %
of
Cu
sto
mers
End of Life Early Life Bowling
Alley
Sources: E.M. Rogers, G. Moore
The Solution Opportunity
Main Street
The Tornado
The Chasm