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The driving force behind innovation is problem solving. A person or group of people has a challenge and they come up with a brand new idea, or a different way of applying an old one in order to overcome that challenge. That simple formula enabled a host of firsts like fire, the wheel and GPS Navigation. But what happens when the solution is not so much new or different but more or less the same? Maybe it has a different color, operating system or touch screen, but the net benefit is the same.
Welcome to the current world of marketing. How do you create value for our product or service if it looks, acts and sells the same as your competitors? In B2B, the fallback strategy is to tag and affiliate the word “solutions” to your offering. Need a new enterprise software platform? You’ll find lots of ‘solutions’. Need a new home security system? Again, plenty of ‘solutions’ exist. Need a new thing-a-ma-jig for your wathcha-ma-call-it. We’ll, you’re likely to find a solution for that too.
Is simply having a solution enough? The answer is no. Your customer or prospect assumes you have a solution or can address a particular need, otherwise they wouldn’t be coming to you in the first place. What really matters is the HOW? Tell them how you can more uniquely solve their challenge. How will they benefit from what you have to sell? How will that benefit be more valuable to them than other alternatives in the marketplace?
B2B organizations need to place more emphasis on creating a compelling message so it stands out among those alternatives that simply claim to have a solution. As you work hard to get your marketing and communications plans together, spend less time worrying about how much of your budget is going to website tactics, offline tactics or the next iteration of social media. First think about what you have to sell, and determine how you can present that offering in a way that has more impact. Don’t just be another solution, have an actual answer to a problem. Your customers will see you as being more innovative, and you’ll convert higher rates of new customers as a result.
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