Marketing to the Pain
by Linda Hartman
In reviewing various channel partner websites, my eyes glaze over from repeatedly learning how ”Company X offers unique scalable, technology solutions that fit your business… and how our comprehensive offering includes storage, servers, application software, etc. ” BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…..
So often, VARs get caught up in the technology and forget to look at why the ‘solution’ was created in the first place. The Field of Dreams mantra of “If we build it, they will come” has died when you weren’t looking.
Resellers need to start looking at their solutions from a customer perspective. Companies have a multitude of sales people vying for attention weekly, and often, daily basis. VARs can set themselves apart by speaking to the pains the client may be experiencing and the business impact of the solution - not technical geek-speak, but in real life business terms. Customers want to feel like someone is listening and addressing their problems. If you have a plumbing problem that is on the verge of flooding your house, does the manufacturer of the pipes and parts that the plumber will use make a difference to you? Probably not. You want to know the plumber has a thorough understanding of your problem, a good idea how to fix it and above all is someone you can trust to get the job done right. The same holds true for technology
In reviewing various channel partner websites, my eyes glaze over from repeatedly learning how ”Company X offers unique scalable, technology solutions that fit your business… and how our comprehensive offering includes storage, servers, application software, etc. ” BLAH, BLAH, BLAH…..
So often, VARs get caught up in the technology and forget to look at why the ‘solution’ was created in the first place. The Field of Dreams mantra of “If we build it, they will come” has died when you weren’t looking.
Resellers need to start looking at their solutions from a customer perspective. Companies have a multitude of sales people vying for attention weekly, and often, daily basis. VARs can set themselves apart by speaking to the pains the client may be experiencing and the business impact of the solution - not technical geek-speak, but in real life business terms. Customers want to feel like someone is listening and addressing their problems. If you have a plumbing problem that is on the verge of flooding your house, does the manufacturer of the pipes and parts that the plumber will use make a difference to you? Probably not. You want to know the plumber has a thorough understanding of your problem, a good idea how to fix it and above all is someone you can trust to get the job done right. The same holds true for technology
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