“Lead with value,” says every single person on LinkedIn. But, well, we all value different things. Let’s take a step back and think about what is actually valuable to the person we’re speaking to.
In this episode, I interview Mike Quiggins, Managing Partner at Eraclides Gelman, about the three aspects of creating value in go-to-market messaging.
In this episode we discuss:
- How much does the other person care about your topic?
- How open are they about the topic (willing to consider other views)?
- How strong-willed are they?
- The effectiveness of a simple message
When Values Differ
What do you do when what’s valuable to you as a sales or marketing professional isn’t valuable to the buyer or customer? Because as we all know, values vary wildly among all of us.
It can be too easy for us to become “logic bullies.” Because our whole world is sales and marketing, we see the inherent value in something and think “how could they NOT respond to this?”
But be careful when you start forcing your values onto the buyer or customer.
Choice, Not Feelings
Studies have shown over and over that the more a topic matters to a person, the more the quality and the quantity of reasons and messages that are sent also matter.
Consider a recent example from a major university with a large basketball following. They were trying to increase attendance, so they sent two different emails to their season ticket holders.
The first was coaches and players telling them how important their attendance was, why they needed to be at the game, and how much the team was depending on them.
The second was just an email asking, “Are you going to the game this weekend?”
The simple email increased attendance by 10%, while the one from the coaches and players had no impact on attendance. Why?
Because when you give people a choice instead of something to think about or tell them what to do, you put them in a position to rethink their current stance.
Figuring out What Matters
How do you identify what the customer or potential customer actually cares about? How do you move from “this thing matters to me as a marketer” to “what matters to the buyer?”
Having the right tools
First, it’s all about the right tools.
There is often a reluctance to invest in the right types of data insight tools to help make more informed decisions. And it’s across the board, at both large companies and small startups.
Being hyper focused
Second, get hyper focused.
From a marketing perspective, you want to look at where you can get involved. How can you collaborate with other organizations in a non-sales way that you can provide sales thought leadership?
It’s quality over quantity. It’s hyper focused targeted marketing.
Key Takeaways
What are the big three things to remember from Mike’s interview?
- Invest in tools that help you both gain a better understanding of your target market’s interest AND help to optimize the efficiencies and automation of outreach.
- When you get rejection emails, ask yourself, “What would change the individual’s mind?”
- Get the customer’s perspective. Get them to open up and start a dialogue.
Want to hear more? Listen to the whole interview, and get in touch with Mike on LinkedIn.
For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.
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