With a couple of foundational elements (Vision and Values) already tossed out for your consideration we move to looking at the vehicles by which your organization delivers its excellence to the marketplace. No, we are not talking about the delivery trucks or service trucks in your fleet. We are using the term vehicles as the products or services by which your organization brings value, results, outcomes, tools, etc. to your customers and clients.
Again, it might appear very simple. Naming the specific products (tangibles) and or services (intangibles) that your organization promotes, markets, sells, and services in the marketplace. I will grant you that this list is far easier to get agreement on than the values which decisions are to be based on from our prior week’s discussion on Core Values. That being said, too many organizations take their offerings a little for granted or should we say they expect the customer to already know what they offer before the initial conversation takes place. In many cases some of this is true. If your organization does plumbing and your organization’s name is ABC Plumbing, there is high reason to believe a caller is not reaching out to you for brakes on their car. The challenge is that the caller may be calling for plumbing items but is not familiar with the breadth and depth of your organization’s capabilities. What we have found interesting is that many times even the employees are unfamiliar with the full suite of capabilities the business they work for can provide. This is very true in organizations that are adding talent to their rosters either due to growth or turnover. This issue is not only a challenge for organizations with many products and services but applies to both small and large organizations alike.
To test this consideration, think of a brand such as Marriot. If you ask yourself to name their hotel chains and align them to the target markets, they engage in staying at those locations. Most people can come up with 3 or 4 such as Marriot, Ritz-Carlton, or Residence Inn for targeting longer-term stays in a home/condo-like environment. Are you aware that Marriot has over 30 hotel brands? They are badging them under the Bonvoy Platform. I suspect travel agents know the nature of each Marriot hotel chain and align their customers’ needs appropriately to the offering. Can you and your team list your “Vehicles” – Products and Services? Which target markets do they serve? Are your marketing plans and campaigns aligned to place your organization’s “Vehicles” in front of the correct consumers at the right time?
When a start-up business begins its journey into the marketplace, it tends to take time to investigate and understand many of the demographics of its target consumers. Small business too often tends to stay in that box for the duration of being in business. Unfortunately, the world, the marketplace, consumer needs, and demographics evolve.
This week take some time to relook at your “Vehicles.” Are they aligned to meet or exceed the customer needs you envision them to provide? Are all members of your team aware of the full suite of “Vehicles” your organization offers and how they directly contribute to your customers’ future success? It is key to not only know your products and services, but your team needs to understand how they take away pain from the consumer. People only buy to gain pleasure or reduce pain in some form or fashion. How do your “Vehicles” actually achieve this for your buyers?
Need to get some clear definition as to your “Vehicles” and how they directly impact and contribute to the future success of your business? Reach out to JKL Associates for a conversation to see how we can mutually engage together so our “Vehicles” assist you in driving your “Vehicles” to their next level of results. Give us a call – in FL (407) 984-7246 or MI (313) 527-7945.
Journey On!
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Celebrating 30 years of Delivering on “Promises”
