Thanks to Harry King (harryking30@gmail.com) for teaching us how to develop a value statement, as part of the Greer Chamber Community Commerce Convention. How to Design your value statement First, create three columns: 1. Things I do well (in business) 2. Processes I use 3. Things my clients need – Take a few minutes to [...]
Who we are: Business Black Box, a business platform (magazine, interactive website and events) with a mission to advise, connect, and grow business in the Upstate. Our readership includes small business owners, entrepreneurs, investors, and others in the economic development and business communities. Oh, and you should probably know that we’re a publication of ShowCase [...]
So many people in sales (although this applies to every area of life) want to jump straight to putting numbers on a page: “I’m going to book this many appointments, sell this many contracts or make this much money.” They set some tangible goal. But these goals become nothing more than numbers on a page unless they become internalized. Each person needs to consider what it would mean to reach them and why reaching them is important.
In my first column we discussed your Unique Value Proposition, which can be defined as “what sets you apart from the competition.” We also discussed the principles of Brand, which simply put is “who knows you,” as well your Position, which can be defined as “what people know you for.”
In my last column we touched on three major points necessary to complete the sales cycle. They were: being able to clearly articulate your “Unique Value Proposition;” establishing a brand that supports and communicates that value proposition; and carving out a position in the marketplace where consumers find your product or services uniquely valuable.
Those three key items must be crystal clear in your mind before you can begin to consistently communicate them to your target market, let alone go on any sales calls. This is where many sales people make their lives more difficult—by trying to get sales appointments before addressing those three items.
When you read the title of this column, what thoughts immediately pop into your mind? The first question should be, “If I read this article, will it help me in my sales career?” The answer is “yes.” Most sales people see making sales as an event instead of a cycle with a process. This column is one in a series that will complete the “Sales Cycle.” So let’s begin.
I recently read a fantastic book entitled Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne. In the book, the authors focus on winning by not competing – a strange and yet profound approach to business strategy. Instead of wading among your competition, they define a blue ocean as a market that has yet to be realized [...]
Money is especially tight for the Small Business owner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed during the current economy. Small businesses that are succeeding view the current economic climate as an opportunity. There’s more time to focus on existing customers and time to explore innovative ways to improve your business. Here are a [...]
Sir Francis Bacon said, “Time is the measure of business” in the 1600’s. Those words are truer today than ever. How many times have you sat through a meeting that was a waste of time? We all have, in fact, we have even set them up and in the end realized it was not time well [...]
In discussing our plans for Business Black Box in 2009, there were a few things that occurred to us. First, 2009 is shaping up to be a lot bigger than even we anticipated for the magazine, our events and our interactive platform. Second, we realized we really needed a couple passionate, experienced sales reps on [...]
