Ray in Academia

How do you know you’re creating value? I often use an example in my introductory marketing class of a new coffee maker I have invented and have a hundred of in my garage. The coffee maker grinds beans, has a digital clock to be set and an automatic start function, and lastly a built in smoke detector. As I then ask my students how many i should bring to our next class to sell them, I’m met with very low enthusiasm for my product. So we then proceed to identify who the coffee drinkers are, who buys coffee beans to be ground, who drinks their coffee it in the morning, and finally who needs a smoke detector. In this way we are looking for the people who can benefit from the features of my coffee maker (turns out not many which explains our low product enthusiasm).

Similarly, for the past few weeks I have been teaching a part of a course for the first time. And although I regularly enjoy the challenge of teaching a course for the first time, this one was bit unique in that it was all one on one role plays in very small class sections (my section had 8 students). 

The Course is our Mark 271 DRIVE: Professional Selling Principles. I think it was the one on one role play that set it apart from some of the other courses I have taught. DRIVE is an acronym for Direction, Rapport, Inquiry, Value , and Execution, a method to follow in creating value for the customer. Within the Inquiry step we use S.P.I.N. another acronym this one for Situation, Problem, Implications, and Need payoff.

These role plays are all designed to teach people to listen. It is only by listening to our clients problems that we can determine if our product/service has a feature that benefits our client or solves their problem. In that way the role play focuses more on the art of conversation than increasing sales.

It is in the ”Value” step that we focus on the features that benefit our client and not all our product/service features because our client is only interested in the features that benefit them.

This understanding/methodology seems very applicable to many fields. Are you creating value in your field by first identifying problems and then solving those problems with your company’s features/services or are you just telling people about all the cool features of your product or all the cool services your company offers and saying ”see aren’t we great”. 

Which conversation would you rather be in:

1) Would you like to buy a coffee maker with a built in bean grinder, digital clock, automatic on function, and comes with a built in smoke detector?

2) Hi, do you drink coffee?

Do you go to the movies or do you prefer to just watch them at home? What are we really buying when we are going to a movie? Is it just the movie or is there something more? Well there is the popcorn. And yes, I have a confession, I love theatre popcorn, and I love going to the movies. So I was delighted to see the movie industry is doing well.

I’m not sure what the draw is for me but I prefer watching movies to watching a number of sports baseball, curling or golf for example. You can decide for yourself but for me I would rather participate in a sport than watch it. I suppose a large number of sports fans actually go to these games not to passively watch but to participate. They question the calls, cheer on their teams, heckle the opposition, and applaud in unison to indicate approval.  

Similarly, are not the best movies the ones that make you laugh out loud in the theatre, or jump in your chair, or make a tear form in the corner of your eye?

Are you like this as well? Do you agree we generally enjoy things more that we participate in? Well if so, then what are we participating in? Are we (you and I) participating at school, at work, at home, because I think if we truely are then we will likely enjoy them much more rather than just clocking time.

How many times have you heard the slogan, “Just Do It”? Have you ever wondered how that slogan came about or why over twenty years later that slogan still resonates with us?

During a classroom conversation the topic of the power of focus came up and how we have so many activities and ideas in our lives that sometimes it can be hard to focus on those which really matter.

The conversation reminded me of a book by Scott Bedbury, “A new brand world”. Scott was working for Nike at the time the “Just do it” campaign began. In his book he writes about one of the current problems as: “Consumers were changing. Aging baby boomers were becoming more fitness- rather than  sports-driven. A new generation of youth was as interested in skateboards and mountain bikes as they were in playing traditional sports.” Seem familiar?

Added to this was the fact that “consumers already knew as much as they wanted to know about fitness. And that most if not all of them were ridden by guilt about their failures to live up to their potential.” And so it was in this educated consumer environment that the “Just Do It” slogan was born to remind us of the fact we know the right things to do, now we have to focus and just do them.

Yup still resonates with me.

Feeling a little down, got a cold? Allow me to pass along a quick piece of advice, because winter is coming.

When you’re feeling your worst, dress your best.

Simple advice but I’ve noticed it works! Have some confidence in how you look, who knows you might even get a compliment! Now imagine that a compliment to lift your day, even if you have a red nose.