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By Rebel Brown

Sales is Discounting Again

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/19/sales-is-discounting-again/"></div>How many times have I heard this cry from clients? Always makes me wonder if corporate citizens understand and appreciate how hard selling can be - especially if you have little air cover and not much ammunition. The fact is that if sales is discounting it means the company, and particularly marketing, hasn't done its job. I'm not trying to pass blame - just pointing out a 'relative' truth.Sales people salivate for dollars. Come on, we all know that. At least the good ones salivate - they'll do whatever it takes to bring the revenues into your company so their wallets are happy. Those are the reps you want working for you. So if they are discounting - before you blame them, take a harder look. Sure you'll always have a select few deals you discount to open a door or seed a market. But those are exceptions, not the rule. Especially if discounting means that reps are losing money out of their own pocket. If reps are discounting consistently, then something is wrong. It could be a number of things:<ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li style="font-family: inherit;">The Product. This is the last place technology companies want to look, and probably the first place they should focus. It's human nature to fall in love with your children, er creations. That's what our technology products often become as we develop them, enhance them, nurture them. But more often than not when sales is discounting the product, its capabilities, design, stability, architecture - something is off the mark. So just admit your kid isn't that cute, and find what it needs to make it more attractive. </li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">The Story. Sales reps will act to fill a void. They have to - it's the nature of what they do. If you don't give them a story that customers understand, believe and care about - then they'll do whatever they have to do to create that story. If that fails, they'll cut the price. It's sales nature. So get the story right, and work with sales to make sure it works for them and their customers - not just for the citizens at corporate.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li style="font-family: inherit;">The Target Market. Just because they were your best customers in the past, don't assume they are for this product or time. Like you, your customers are evolving and changing, following their own Phoenix flight plan. Make sure you're still a match and if you're not - either switch markets or products. Discounting is often a sign that you're aim is a bit off in the market. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li style="font-family: inherit;">The Trust Factor. If customers don't trust that you're the expert partner they've been looking for, they won't pay you full price. They'll want a discount for the risk they perceive they are taking. Make sure sales has the evidence to demonstrate your expertise and prove relevant successes.</li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">The Comp Plan. But what if the reps don't lose that much money for discounting? What if they can discount a deal to the point that you lose money - and they still get paid, maybe even slapped on the back for it? If you think it doesn't happen, look around you.</li> </ul> My point is - discounting is a very telling behavior. Here and there, it's not a big deal. But when it starts to happen consistently, then it's time to pay attention and fix the reason it's going on.And stop blaming sales.They're most like doing the best they can with what they have been given. <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/19/sales-is-discounting-again/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Focus Groups are for Lipsticks

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/18/focus-groups-are-for-lipsticks/"></div>You're launching a new product, so of course you test your messages with customers. After all, you want to make sure your customers' mouths water (and their wallets open) when they hear your story. More than that, you want to get to know your target market; learn to think like them, speak like them, understand how they react to your story. So you decide to run a focus group. That's what everyone does, right? Wrong. In my humble experience the high technology market does not lend itself to focus groups. Unless you want a stilted result. In that case you can go ahead and put 10 - 20 people in a room and ask them all the same questions at the same time - and watch the group dynamics replace the customer truth. But if you want an honest, accurate customer moment - you have to do it 1:1. Mano-a-mano. Focus groups work great for markets that are trendy - where buyer behavior follows a herd mentality. Which is mostly in the consumer space. Take lipstick for example. Back in my grad school days, I worked as a gopher for a hot ad exec in the Chicago area. We ran focus groups all the time - for everything from Soul Train programming to haircare products to McDonald's ads to - yes, lipstick and cosmetics. As part of my gopher role I had the chance to sit 'behind the mirror' and listen to the dynamics on both sides of that piece of glass. What did I learn?<ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Groups have Alphas and Others. Even strangers who met each other five minutes ago will follow group dynamics quickly - and Alphas and Others will appear.</li> <li>Alphas will lead, Others will follow.</li> <li>Alphas will suppress Others' ideas or opinions that differ from theirs.</li> <li>Others will stifle or change their own stated ideas to be 'accepted' by their Alphas.</li> </ul> OK - so these were focus groups with consumers. So what does that have to do with technology?Everything.Group dynamics are group dynamics. And those are exactly the dynamics that can give you great insight for popular trends like lipstick colors, car body designs and more. Trendy is great when you can leverage it to compel or attract the masses from specific demographic targets. High technology products focused on consumers can certainly use group dynamics to create compelling market dynamics. Phones, games, laptops and PDAs can fall into this category at a consumer level. But IT and business executives don't make decisions based on the trendiest thing. Sure, you may think they do. They get excited about the latest whizfloppy, right? But they don't spend budget dollars based on trends. They really don't. Ask yourself: When is the last time a CXO called you and placed a $400K order because 'everyone else is buying it'? Wouldn't that make it easy:)The best way to find your customer truth is to talk to your customers about their specific situation. In an environment where they can share their truth - uninterrupted and with ease. One-on-one, up close and personal. <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/18/focus-groups-are-for-lipsticks/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Competitive Assessment that Works

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/15/competitive-assessment-that-works/"></div> While I don't believe the competition should heavily influence a company's strategy, I do believe competitive knowledge is key in better understanding your market. Yet IMHO few companies actually assess the important aspects of the competition. We spend time evaluating our competitor’s technology foundations, comparing feature against feature. We look for every detail that we can use to prove that our technology is far superior to that of others. We compare pricing and discounting and facts and figures. <o:p></o:p> Don’t get me wrong. Understanding your competitor’s technology and its capabilities is a worthwhile exercise. As long as you don’t fall into the trap of defining your solutions based on their features – and become a <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/the-best-place-for-competition-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">follower.</a> So what is the most important thing to assess about the competition? <o:p></o:p> That’s easy. Customer perceptions. What your customers believe about your competition IS their reality. It's their truth. You may be able to change some of that belief with facts and figures and demos - but much of it is pure perception based on opinions and experience. What customers believe about you and your competitors will trump technology breadth and depth every time. At the risk of repeating myself - the best technology doesn’t mean you win, remember? If a customer perceives the competition's products or service or expertise to be superior - it is. At least until you find a way to change that perception - usually through real world experiences with this customer or others who are like them. CASE IN POINTOne of my clients was in the SMB software space. They had a feature rich software suite and were doing well in the market. I was hired to help with some expansion planning. These guys were great technologists and had some interesting solutions in the B2C business arena. When I asked about competitors, they gave me detailed analysis of the features/capabilities of the top 3 ‘big’ guys. Two were well known leaders at the enterprise level – who were moving into the SMB space. One was an online provider of hosted solutions that were probably the best overall fit for the SMB space. The client believed that their rather large R&D budget was necessary since these 3 competitors had ‘everything’. When I asked to speak to 10 or so customers – I learned a different truth. <ul> <li>Customers and prospects didn’t view the 2 enterprise vendors as viable choices – they were overkill, had too many features and were viewed as too complicated. Plus, what kind of support could an SMB expect from vendors whose bread and butter came from the big enterprise accounts? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>The Hosted vendor? Well, these SMB folks weren’t ready to put their precious business data out at someone vendor's location, much less access it through the public web. To them, that couldn't be secure. Since they were just moving off of paper systems, they really wanted their solution to be tangible. Turned out that the server they could see in the back office made them feel more comfortable. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>We learned that the real competition fell into two camps –the status quo (and comfort) of remaining on a paper system OR moving to a much simpler software solution with limited features – something the customers could view as 'manageable' vs the overwhelming feeling they got from the big guys’ products.And BTW, the same feeling they were starting to get from my client's solutions with all their Chinese menus of features. </li> </ul> · My client really didn’t need all those features they were adding like rabbits. They needed to focus on delivering what customers wanted most – simplicity of solution focused on specific needs and the feeling that they mattered. We realigned the client’s resources to bundle the simple solutions these customers wanted against target use cases. We focused our marketing around stories of other customers - using a 'Just like them' approach. We highlighted my clients’ commitment to the SMB marketplace ONLY – and showcased their experience in key SMB areas as well as customers sharing their responsive support stories. Most importantly, we stopped following the competition with all those features that customers didn’t really want. The results? Well, we increased sales (and more importantly margins) in the top 4 opportunity markets we identified, while reducing the overall product Plan of Record by about 25%. The company grew around 30% in the nine months following our work. A few things to think about when defining competitive assessment and positioning: <o:p></o:p> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Start by creating a market landscape that focuses on your true competitors – defined by customer perception. Forget about who you think you compete with. Ask your customers who and what they perceive as alternatives. You may be surprised what you learn. </li> </ul> <ul> <li style="color: #111111;">Go ahead and look at the technology or product: You're dying to check under the hood, so do just that. But ask your customers about their experiences, ask other partners. Go beyond the specifications on the competitive website OR the perceptions your own engineers or specialists carry. What matters is what the customers perceive to be reality. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Take a look at qualitative and 'social' aspects of the competition. Never underestimate the power of soft aspects. How competitors present themselves, how they are perceived is often the reason they win, and not their technology. Make sure you know exactly how your audience perceives your competition on multiple fronts: technology acumen, experience, customer savvy, customer responsiveness, market knowledge, corporate viability – look at ALL the soft aspects, and stop focusing on the technology alone. Also - look at the 'buzz' about this competitor in the market - find out what your audience is saying about them out on the social web. That's where true perception is often created in this networked age.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Identify their Achilles Heel. In the above example the very technology breadth that my client envied (and chased) was one of the Achilles Heels of the competitors. When it comes to weaknesses – you have to look out-of-the-box. Often I find that competitive weakness isn’t in products (imagine that!). It’s in the market’s perception of their expertise, the quality of their support, their ‘caring’ factor when there is a problem. Look hard for those soft areas – for they are the areas you can exploit. And remember, for the market majority too many features or too-rich technology can be a weakness and not a strength. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Identify their core value and what they do well – and let them do just that. Know their strengths and where those strengths will win – and stay far away. As a matter of fact - give them that space. You're better off focused on available opportunities. If there isn’t enough market for you to give them their space and still have a viable opportunity for yourself – then you might just think about your choice of target. </li> </ul> Understanding your audience's perceptions of you and other alternatives is a key step in creating a flight plan for your company growth. So the next time someone knocks on your door with a feeds 'n speeds competitive analysis - ask them what the customers think. That's what really matters. <o:p> </o:p> <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/15/competitive-assessment-that-works/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

The Best Place for Competition is in the Rear View Mirror

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/14/the-best-place-for-competition-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror/"></div>One of my first CEO clients - a leader in the early days of the Search industry - gave me a great piece of advice about the competition. I still follow it. "If you pay too much attention to the competition - you'll always end up following them." At the time I actually think I thought he was nuts. After all, as a young idealistic marketing consultant, competitive analysis was one of those B school standards near and dear to my heart. Now, some twenty something years later, I see how brilliant he was. Companies have to think for themselves, not like their competitors. I'm not saying that you have to ignore your competition. That'd be kinda silly, now wouldn't it. What I am saying is that companies have to stop focusing on what their competition is doing as the baseline for defining their future direction. Following the competition's lead won't help you be a leader. Leveraging the competitive information you have to think differently, now that's the key. As my grandpa used to say, "The view never changes unless you're the lead cow."_______Come back tomorrow for Competitive Assessment that Works! <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/14/the-best-place-for-competition-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

What if Technology Isn’t the Heart of Your Business?

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/13/what-if-technology-isnt-the-heart-of-your-business/"></div>Heresy!! Technology makes the world go around, right? That's why the best technology always wins in the market, right? Hmmm. Well, maybe not. Technologies come and go. Even great technologies. Before we have a heart attack - yes, technology is important. I recognize that and I would never argue that you can be successful without it. Your technology innovation is most likely one of the key reason customers find you. It's also a source of revenue. That doesn't mean that your whizbang whatchamaflopppy is the heart of your business. It certainly doesn't mean that your technology alone will power you through the ups and downs of your entire business life cycle.Nor does it mean that technology in and of itself will keep you in a strong market position <ul> </ul> What keeps your business alive and thriving is your customers. We technology folk forget that sometimes. But the bottom line is that customers, and the value you bring to them, should be at the heart of your business. Your technology represents a facet of your customer value matrix. But your value goes much deeper. Value comes from the energy and attitude you put into solving customer problems. It comes becoming a trusted partner with your customers. That's an intangible thing, made up of so much more than tangible technology. For example: <ul> <li>Market Expertise. Customers want to work with vendors who understand their world, their daily lives. People who have expertise in their specific field, not just in coding the latest and greatest software. Don't underestimate the value of real-world, hands-on experience and knowledge - your customers value it and you should too. You should fuel it. Being able to apply your technology to your customers' business in their terms will build a stronger partnership than your latest whizawidget, every time. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Customer Commitment. Great companies are passionate about their customer experience. Sure, all great vendors aren't that way, there's always an exception (and I can think of one large vendor that is noticeably lacking a customer-focused attitude). But most great companies live and breathe 'customer'. Take a look at Steve Jobs if you want the ultimate example. He is beyond passionate about his users. I've seen him miss an important executive session because he wanted to spend time with an employee's mom - exploring her experience with GUIs, with the web, with music downloading. That's one of the many reasons he's a winner - big time. </li> </ul> <ul> <li style="color: #111111;">Customer Vision. Enduring companies have vision. And not just about technology. They see the world through their customers' eyes. They understand that their own infatuation with the next cool innovation may not match their customers' most- pressing needs. Set your vision from your customer's perspective. Then go use your technical skills to create the best technology or service to help your customers be successful. Starting with technology and then trying to find a customer home is like trying to make that proverbial horse drink water - it rarely works well. </li> </ul> There are many complex factors that go into each and every success. Different mixes make a company unique, power it to leadership and keep it there. Your technology or products are definitely one of those factors.Still, keeping your fingers on the pulse of your customers is the one guaranteed key to success. When you're taking stock of your company, be sure you look beyond the development labs. <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/13/what-if-technology-isnt-the-heart-of-your-business/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

But It’s Our Best and Biggest Seller

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/08/but-its-our-best-and-biggest-seller/"></div>Getting down to the nitty gritty about a client's 'best sellers' is one of the first things I jump into when I start a new project. More often than not, those 'best sellers' are the source of more problems than anyone would expect.How can that be? It's the biggest seller (which is easy to prove with revenues), the cash cow, sacred cow, the product that delivers major corporate differentiation. Right?Sometimes it is. But more often it's not. It may generate the most revenue - but you have to look deeper, much deeper, to find out how the product is impacting your business.<ul> <li>How differentiated is this product - truly? I often learn that it's not, really. It was at one time, but it's not now. In fact, it should be well into its end-of -life. So why is it selling? Sometimes the reps are discounting it to get more revenue. The company is OK with that since well, it's revenue. Sometimes it brings a significantly bigger dollar value per sale than any other product - so even a small number of sales make it look 'big time'. Sometimes it's simply on the brink of starting its decline. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>How much is it costing to continue this product? I had a client who was measuring product success at the contribution margin level. The leading product looked like it was a real winner. The problem? Well, turns out the product required a lot of integration and testing before it was delivered. The reps were selling 'specials' more than ever - so, the costs below the line were eating up the margin - and more. But the company just kept selling more and more of this favored technology. Yes, even in business, love is blind. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>How many and which customers are using it? I'll sometimes find a handful of the best customers using the product in question. Which sounds like a good thing on the surface. But what if those customers really aren't that great for your business? What if they aren't the market of your future? What if they are a market that costs you money? Ask yourself. How much is it costing you to develop and support a product for customers who don't represent your best, or most profitable, market opportunity going forward? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>How much are reps allowed to discount? This is one of my favorites. I continue to be amazed at the number of companies who measure reps on revenue and not margins - and celebrate the $2M deal which secretly cost them money. I'm not going to get into sales incentives and motivation here. But IMHO if you have to heavily discount your 'best selling product' - you might want to think again. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>What are you NOT doing because if the investment in this product? Here's another big rub. A client was investing almost 40% of their R&D budget into a legacy product that was losing margins. The installed base was strong but small (and declining) and its applicability was growing more limited. Why? Because it was really cool technology (5 years ago), differentiated (for those who needed it) and was frankly, the client's adored 'baby'. The problem? The company's future,the set of products that were potentially <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/what-exactly-is-game-changing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">game changing</a>, were being strangled for resources by this legacy beast. </li> </ul> I'm not claiming this is always the case. Certainly not. Some clients point to a best seller and it is truly the lifeline for the business.What I am saying is - <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/throw-everything-in-the-fire.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Throw Everything into the Fire</a>, test that best seller. If it rises as a key asset for your Phoenix - then ride it to the sky. Just make sure it's a <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/about-the-phoenix.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Phoenix</a>, and not a vulture in disguise. <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/08/but-its-our-best-and-biggest-seller/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Positioning 101

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/07/positioning-101/"></div>HI allJust wanted to let everyone know that one of my partners, Fusion PR, was kind enough to host me as a guest on their blog. You can find my post, Positioning 101, at:<a href="http://fusionpr.blogspot.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://fusionpr.blogspot.com/</a>Enjoy! <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/07/positioning-101/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Go Thump Your Chest in the Gym

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/06/go-thump-your-chest-in-the-gym/"></div>I spent half a day with a team last week who fell all over each other sharing their claims of technological superiority. Their whatchamadoodle was faster than the competition's, it did everything better, it was obviously made by those of superior intellect. I mean really, it was a marvel of modern technology. Not one word about the customer problem or how this amazing solution solved it. Not one word about the business value, or the competitive advantage this technology could provide. Not one word about anything or anyone but this company and its awesome technology.If this company were a person - we'd call it a self-centered ego maniac. And I sure as heck would not want to spend a lot of time around someone so self-enthralled. Would you? Now think like a customer. When someone approaches you to sell a car, or an appliance, or a house or whatever - using me, me, me marketing - how do you respond?How do you think your own customers respond? I have a pretty good idea, in case you don't already know. The more you boast, the more their eyes glaze over,or roll around in their heads. And then they tune you out. I call it chest thumping -and you should go do it in the mirrors in the gym, not in business. And certainly not as a way to win customers and influence prospects. Business, and certainly your market persona (aka brand, image, etc) is NOT about you anymore. IMHO it never was. So how about we stop the chest thumping and start letting customer success speak for you. Feeds and speeds and technological claims of superiority don't win business. Nor do they impress your customers. in fact, too much chest thumping can drive customers away - right into the arms of the competition. Think about it. How much time and trust do you want to share with someone who is all about me, me and me?Your customers and prospects are really no different. So get out, go to the gym, work it out of your system and then come back to the office and focus on your customers and their successes. Be a humble expert offering advice, educating your market on issues that matter to them, pointing to customer success as the real evidence of what you can do. Then just watch the response. <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/06/go-thump-your-chest-in-the-gym/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Phoenix Rising

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/03/phoenix-rising/"></div>The myth of the <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/about-the-phoenix.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Phoenix </a>has always been one of my favorites. Don't you think there's just something too cool about a bird that has the wisdom to torch itself when it's hit the proverbial wall - only to rise from the ashes as a new improved model? And now I get to use this fabulous mythic creature as the mascot for my work. How fun is that? Phoenix Rising® is all about corporate re-definition and re-invention. The concepts and process are based on knowledge I've accumulated during my thirty something years in the technology business. Phoenix Rising is not a one-size-fits-all process. Actually, its as much art as it is science. My goal with this blog is to share lessons learned - about what works and what just plain doesn't. I also hope to spark some new ideas and approaches and shed some light on some old ones. And, okay, maybe preach a little bit about things I see that make me go 'HUH?'. After all, I do have <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/rebels-soapbox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">My Own Personal Soapbox.</a> My hope is that what you read here will fuel your journey as you move to redefine and recreate your company, its products, its market position. Phoenix Rising isn't just for companies in dire straights, although many of the concepts I share were developed as part of my turnaround work.The fact is that successful companies reinvent themselves in the face of changing markets and buyers. The really great ones live multiple lives - rising to lead yet again in new and ever evolving markets. Want some examples? Just look at Apple, IBM, Microsoft and ever database-centric Oracle, er uh, Sun. Now there's a flock of Phoenix that have risen again and again. You can, too!<ul style="font-family: inherit;"> </ul> <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/03/phoenix-rising/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

2 + 2 = 7

<div class="at-above-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/02/2-2-7/"></div>I was reading an article this morning that IMHO was way off base - presenting some pretty inaccurate conclusions based on standard financial reporting numbers. I was just plain flabbergasted to see the conclusions that were drawn. And published right there on the web - with some credibility!To be fair, I don't think the person writing the article was trying to misrepresent anything. I just think he used the numbers to make his points without fully understanding the numbers. And his conclusions were pretty shaky, at best. I commented back to BNET, so I won't go into the gory details here.***What I want to emphasize is the importance of understanding your numbers - and of spinning them to support your points in a reasonable and logical fashion.Quantitative evidence can be a great boon to companies. They prove the points we want to make. But they can also shoot our credibility in the foot - or even worse. My keys to evidencing with numbers are simple - be accurate, be logical and tell a story that makes sense.<ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li style="font-family: inherit;">Accuracy Matters. Especially in this business. There is always someone in your audience ready to play 'stump the chump' with you and your stories. We all know the kind - someone who knows more than everyone and is just waiting to prove it. The fastest way to shoot down your Phoenix is to use numbers that are inaccurate, or to inaccurately use the correct numbers (as in the case with the article above). Be accurate, be knowledgeable or don't use the numbers. You'll just give that guy in your audience the bullet he needs to shoot you down. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Be Logical. If you're going to use numbers, whether they are yours, the analysts, some market study's - show the audience the logic you used to draw your conclusions. Logic is the thread that weaves your quantitative evidence together. When your logic is solid and your audience accepts it as trusted expertise - you gain credibility. When you throw out SWAG assumptions or just plain inaccurate logic - well, you better duck that next bullet.</li> <li>Tell Stories. Numbers are the foundation for great stories. For example, I use company growth numbers to tell stories of leadership - even when the growth may not be at the top line and/or company-wide. For example, let's say your overall revenue has declined. But look at that new sector - the one that you just dipped your corporate toe into. You've grown sales by 10x and have some nice customer names to show for it. <NOTE: Sounds like a Phoenix to me!> That evidence shows the success of your transition in a tangible way. Use it to weave your leadership story - the value you bring, the success you're finding - and the customers who make it so. BTW - that market is your most likely next destination!</li> </ul> Numbers are one of the best marketing tools we have. Using them in an accurate and informed way can go a long way in gaining customer credibility as a thoughtful and trusted expert. *** If you care to see what started me thinking, you can check things out for yourself. Here's the article I'm talking about at BNET: <a href="http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10001556/examining-microsofts-and-apples-marketing-spend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Examining Microsoft and Apple's Marketing Spend</a> <div class="at-below-post-arch-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/02/2-2-7/"></div>