WHEN: Wednesday November 12, 2014
WHERE: Ramada Inn, Kent
Gaining a clearer understanding of the buying process and those who are involved will help your company tailor communication and interactions to be more effective in meeting the needs of potential clients and more effective at moving them through the sales process.
In November our topic will cover positioning and how to clearly and consistently articulate a company’s unique value proposition and brand promise to better communicate and interact with potential customers.
Multiple messages and different value propositions create inconsistent understanding in the marketplace and a weaker story. Consistent communication of a unique value proposition helps you better convey your competitive advantage and increase effectiveness when selling, speeding growth of your customer base.
LUNCH
All who are attending the morning session are invited to join us for lunch. Please let Lauren Owen or Michele Bosworth know if you are not able to attend lunch.
MEMBERS
Members arrive at 7:30am for breakfast and check-in. Please RSVP to Michele Bosworth by October 30, 2014 if you will be bringing employee guests.
MEMBER CANDIDATES
Member Candidates are invited to join us for the roundtable and lunch from 9:00am-12:00pm with lunch immediately following from 12:00 noon to 1:00pm. Please arrive by 8:50am and wait in the lobby. Lauren Owen will come get you before the workshop begins at 9:00am.
EMPLOYEE GUESTS
Employee Guests are invited to attend the roundtable from from 9:00am - 12:00pm. Please arrive by 8:50am and wait in the lobby. Lauren Owen will come get you before the workshop begins at 9:00am.
HOST:
November will be a shared member expenseWHERE WE WILL MEET:
Ramada (formerly Holiday Inn)
22318 84th Ave S
Kent, WA 98032
The Roundtable will be held in the Evergreen Room.
Click HERE for directions and a map.
TITLE OF WORKSHOP:
What’s Your Story? Increase Your Market Impact and Grow Your Business
AGENDA:
Click HERE to view the Agenda.
QUESTIONS THE CEO SHOULD BE ASKING:
- Does my company have a clear understanding of the target buyer, the process used to discover solutions, each buyer’s needs and potential barriers?
- Is everyone in my company consistently and effectively communicating our company’s unique value proposition to prospective clients and current customers?
- Are we clearly differentiating our products and services from our competitors and helping potential buyers understand why they should choose our products over competitors?
- Do we have an effective plan for building customer loyalty and communicating and interacting with new customers?
TAKEAWAYS:
- Buyer
Persona creation guide
- Positioning
assessment
- Value
Proposition and Brand Promise tools
- An
improved understanding of the purpose and role of a Market(ing) Plan in the
sales process
- Value Proposition and Brand Promise tools
PREPARATION:
1. Survey your Executive/Management Team, also members of the marketing, sales, and customer service teams. Describe the company’s brand promise, its unique value proposition and a summary of your elevator pitch.
- Goal: Test whether the message that you are giving to the market is consistent.
- Template provided: Company Message and Value Proposition
- It’s easiest to forward the template document to each individual then have someone compile the answers verbatim for your use in the November workshop.
2. Win/Loss Analysis:
- Goal: Test whether the message that you are giving to the market is consistent.
- Template provided: Company Message and Value Proposition
- It’s easiest to forward the template document to each individual then have someone compile the answers verbatim for your use in the November workshop.
- Goal: Validate the perceived “truth” in the mind of your customer (which may not be what the sales person knows/tells you). Uncover process, knowledge and expertise that helps you win and makes you lose. Clarify which competitor you lose to and why.
- Template provided: Win-Loss Analysis
- Recommend completing at least one customer and one “lost opportunity” interview before November’s workshop. You can have another executive complete this work, just not the sales manager or sales staff.
3. Understand your competitive landscape:
- Goal: Validate the perceived “truth” in the mind of your customer (which may not be what the sales person knows/tells you). Uncover process, knowledge and expertise that helps you win and makes you lose. Clarify which competitor you lose to and why.
- Template provided: Win-Loss Analysis
- Recommend completing at least one customer and one “lost opportunity” interview before November’s workshop. You can have another executive complete this work, just not the sales manager or sales staff.
- Goal: Leverage what you learn about your competition to improve your company’s positioning in the market.
- Define your competition in the way that makes sense for your organization – by products/services, vertical markets, etc. Understand the competitive landscape relative to your company and your target markets – what types or categories of competition do you face, specific competitors, other competition such as status quo, other solutions, internal, etc.
- Template provided: Competitive Landscape
- Use the spreadsheet as a guide and to compile the information. (A lot of this information can be found online with a little digging).
- Have someone on your team, who is internet research savvy and can understand the type of information they are trying to find, do the research
- Use the spreadsheet as a guide and to compile the information. (A lot of this information can be found online with a little digging).
- Have someone on your team, who is internet research savvy and can understand the type of information they are trying to find, do the research
PRESENTERS:
Elizabeth Andreini
As the President of Accelerate Marketing, LLC, Elizabeth Andreini, is the "secret weapon" CEOs turn to at key growth points when they need to transform marketing and product management to grow their customer base, increase revenue & scale their business.
In addition to providing experienced executive insight and guidance, Elizabeth often works as an interim CMO or VP to provide the hands-on leadership needed tore architect marketing and product management and improve execution from the inside.
Elizabeth Andreini, founder & president of Accelerate Marketing, LLC Accelerate Marketing,
206-769-3420 or elizabeth@accelerate-marketing.com
www.accelerate-marketing.com
Twitter: @acceler8mkting
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethandreini
Sue Sanford
Sue Sanford is a marketing management and strategy consultant with skill and a penchant for developing high performing teams. In her 25 plus years in marketing, she has launched dozens of B2B programs for Microsoft and other high-growth companies, and successfully managed campaigns with budgets of every shape and size. With her background in the high-tech, startup, non-profit, and educational sectors, Sue is well-versed in translating values to customers clearly and with meaning. And with her deep empathy and passion for building relationships, she is an inspired, innovative marketer and team leader.
Sue Sanford, Principal Partner and Co-Founder, Upstart Group
sue@upstartgroup.com or 425-503-2600
www.upstartgroup.com
sue@upstartgroup.com or 425-503-2600
www.upstartgroup.com
