Differentiation – Todd Youngblood's "SPE" Blog

Category Archives: Differentiation

“I Don’t Know.” – A Great Answer

June 26, 2010 – 8:28 am

Thanks for coming back! Please use the comment function below to let me know what issues are on your mind and what you’re thinking about. RSS Feed Here’s my contention: Finding yourself frequently acknowledging, “I don’t know,” is a signal that you have become a superior sales rep. Huh? Before you conclude I’ve finally lost [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Develop Relationships | Tagged Differentiation, Networking, Serve | Comments (2)

Do Your Customers Appreciate You?

June 25, 2010 – 6:26 am

Customers remember the things you messed up all by themselves. It’s your job to highlight the times you went “above and beyond” for them. For some reason, human nature assures that all disasters large and small are memorable. Your customers simply will not forget. Conversely, you routinely stretch yourself and your company to go above [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Documentation | Tagged Differentiation, Documentation | Comments (0)

Think, Work And Act Like a Business Manager

June 22, 2010 – 6:05 am

The traditional role of sales rep as provider of information is obsolete. That role got outsourced to Google because it’s a lot faster and easier that way. If customers can find the information they want using a Google search, why would they ever contact a sales rep? If it’s accessible via Google, they don’t need [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Tagged Differentiation, Knowledge, Recommendation Summary | Comments (2)

Find, Capture Or Create?

June 14, 2010 – 6:26 am

Bear with me through just a tad of fundamental economics. It’s a needed foundation for being honest with yourself about my real question in this post. If you were mildly hungry and loved bananas, how many would you buy if they cost $9,000 each? Lots or none? (Point #1 on the blue curve) Same question, [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Tagged Differentiation, Finance, Value | Comments (1)

A Salute To Creativity And Customer Focus

April 29, 2010 – 1:43 pm

Ingenuity and creativity are everywhere. No matter what the obstacle, somebody will figure out a way to deliver what the customer wants.

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Creativity, Video | Tagged Creativity, Customer Focus | Comments (2)

Quick Thought

April 25, 2010 – 3:48 pm

Mark Twain at his finest…

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Quick Thought, Video | Tagged Pursuit of Excellence | Comments (0)

Little Things Can Make A Huge Difference (Ask Beethoven)

April 21, 2010 – 7:11 am

We all know it’s true. Little things really can make a huge difference. But we all cut corners – all the time. We’re busy. We have challenging goals. We’re tempted to let the little thing slide. Next time you find yourself starting that slide, listen to the following audio clip. It’s only 44 seconds, and [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Best Practices | Tagged Best Practices, Extra Mile | Comments (2)

Customer Focus Mexico-Style

April 17, 2010 – 4:41 am

I’ve blogged before about the work ethic displayed by my client in Mexico. They also have an innate sense of customer-centricity that can provide a lesson to us all. (By the way – I urge you to read this all the way through, AND collect a few case studies from your own team, before you [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Value Propositions | Tagged Best Practices, Discipline, Process Thinking | Comments (0)

The Rodney Dangerfield of Sales (aka Mr. Low Price)

April 8, 2010 – 6:10 am

Ever wonder how Rodney Dangerfield came up with his signature, “I don’t get no respect,” line? My guess is it first hit him when he still had his job selling aluminum siding. Yep, that’s how he supported himself and his family before his big break on the Ed Sullivan Show. Anyway, talk about a tough [...]

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Value Propositions | Tagged Best Practices, Differentiation, Process Thinking, Value Proposition | Comments (2)

I was wrong about proposals

March 8, 2010 – 2:33 pm

An audio version of one of the more popular SPE Blog posts. Do you really want to take all your hard work and then “propose,” i.e. , go hat in hand and “submit it for consideration?” Or is there a better way? Click to subscribe to the podcast

By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Best Practices | Tagged Best Practices, Collaboration, Proposal | Comments (1)