Category Archives: Differentiation

Quick Thought

April 25, 2010 – 3:48 pm

Mark Twain at his finest…

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By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Quick Thought, Video | Tagged | 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 will [...]

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By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Best Practices | Tagged , | 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 [...]

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By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Value Propositions | Tagged , , | 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 [...]

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By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Value Propositions | Tagged , , , | 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 [...]

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

The 4 Ps of Value Propositions

January 29, 2010 – 6:37 pm

If an opportunity deserves pursuing, it  deserves a compelling value proposition.  Problem is, crafting one is often quite challenging.  Thinking in terms of Personal, Pervasive, Permanent and Persistent value can be a big help in getting started.
What do think?  Is the framework useful for you?

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By Todd Youngblood | Also posted in Value Propositions | Comments (0)

I Was Wrong About Proposals

January 18, 2010 – 8:14 am

For years, I’ve ranted at sales reps and managers about how utterly dumb it is to “submit a quote” to a customer.  A traditional quote does nothing more than list items for sale, prices, totals, discounts and net price.  It provides no differentiation whatever and reinforces the fact that you have nothing more to offer [...]

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By Todd Youngblood | Comments (7)

Is “Thought Leadership” Really All That Important?

January 13, 2010 – 9:44 pm

Regardless of what all the social media pundits say, not everyone needs or should even try to jump on the “thought leadership” bandwagon and use these new tools. It’s more important for sales professionals, managers and executives to ensure that the message:
* Highlights value customers can accrue
* Reflects what you can actually deliver
* Provides the [...]

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Why Are Most Value Propositions So Awful?

November 26, 2009 – 1:16 pm

by Todd Youngblood
For the last 90 days or so, I’ve been asking customers, prospects – actually everyone I talk to – to quickly state the overall value proposition for their organization. I’ve been amazed at the dismal quality of the responses.
Over half fell into what I’ll call the “I dunno” category. There literally were a [...]

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By admin | Also posted in Value Propositions | Comments (2)