by Peter Berglund Reprinted with Permission © 2003 Peter J. Berglund

As much as Mom told us the Golden Rule was the key to getting along with people, whatever you do, don’t let the marketing department get a hold of it––it's the kiss of death. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" has noble intent, but is a recipe for disaster for sales and marketing. If you want sales success, don’t treat customers the way you want to be treated, treat them the way THEY want to be treated. Technology and engineering-driven companies are famous for using the Golden Rule in their marketing and sales approach. They understand their technology so clearly that they begin to believe everyone would buy from them if they just understood the technology too. "It’s the technology that makes us different, so why not stress what makes us different?" they claim. So far so good, but is it enough? Let’s go fishing and use the Golden Rule. What should we put on the hook? I like strawberries and fish like worms. Strawberries are better than worms, you know. In fact, I can prove it with facts, data, and logic. Strawberries taste better, they look better, they contain more vitamin C, etc. Worms are filthy, disgusting, and awful. I mean, come on now––worms! But wait. Here’s a good idea: let’s educate the fish! We can send them to seminars and teach them why our ways are better (no cheap "school" pun here!)! If the fish only understood, they would come around to our point of view and like strawberries! If we want to catch fish, we need to take the effort to find out what they want and give it to them in a way they like and understand–– even if we’re "right" and "shouldn’t have to!" You may be smarter than your customers, and even "right" in your thinking, but this won’t get prospects to buy from you. We all know intuitively that effective marketing and sales people have an ability to see things from the other person’s point of view and express themselves in those terms. But it’s more than gut feel; it takes a concerted effort to understand. Let’s face it–– understanding people is not an easy task, but this doesn’t get you off the hook, so to speak. One thing for sure though: the Golden Rule is easy! You don’t have to do anything because you already know everything! It takes no effort at all, and you don’t need to take time to understand other points of view. If you’re in a marketing role, don’t let the engineers fool you into thinking that "if only they understood our technology they'd buy." Always focus on how the customer sees it (even if you're smarter than the customer). Mom may be right about the Golden Rule, but don’t try to catch dinner using it–– you’ll go hungry.

APICS TOPICS - The Educational Society for Resource Management Wichita Chapter 71 · September 2003, Page 7

Inside this issue: (1.) SEPTEMBER PDM, (2.) PRESIDENT'S CORNER, (3.) APICS CALENDAR OF EVENTS, (4.) SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE CLASSES,  (5.) 2003 ANNUAL CONFERENCE,  ,  (6.) RECERTIFICATION INFORMATION ,  (7.) STRAWBERRIES & WORMS (8.) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION