“There’s one other thing in this area that I think is really critical. And that is the brand promise itself. In the learning system, we talk about partnering with customers and having conversations with the marketplace, what we’re really talking about is a personal exchange of information that allows you to get a real feel for the whys and wherefores of your customers’ interests.
“What is it that the customer most values about your product? I’m sure it isn’t your ease in making it! You want to know what your product means to them. I’ve seen a number of sales meetings where the salesmen sit around and talk badly about the customer, that they don’t appreciate the value that’s right in front of them.
“The fact of the matter is that’s not the customer’s problem, that’s the company’s problem. For the company to build a powerful brand with a meaningful identity, really means that the value you build in has to be aligned with the value your customer base seeks. The value you’re promising has to be in synch with the value that the marketplace is seeking.
“And it isn’t just what they used to want, it isn’t simply that your products are technically solid… Those things are a given. It’s what else, and more to the point, what unique addition can you make to keep that value a step ahead of what the competition offers that really allows you to have a powerful brand.”
“The Toolkit is really a leadership positioning system, a guide for leading your people to extraordinary results. I use this metaphor because in the 21st Century we all have heard of GPS, or Global Position System, a system designed to help people find their way in unfamiliar territory. The GPS helps us to find our location in reference to our goals, to our destinations and it enables us to chart a path to get there.
“Our Leadership Positioning System (LPS) is designed to help you find your way to your goals in an unknown and sometimes hostile business ecosystem.
Business profile courtesy of Family Business Strategies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author: Dan Elash can be reached via
email or at
http://www.syntient.biz.
