As a matter of fact, and especially in the B2B world, people CAN buy a product or service from you – and not know you exist. And in any B2B sale I can think of, and also many consumer purchases, awareness is not enough.

Even if the customer’s question is “How does this save me money?” that doesn’t mean the answer is “I’m cheaper than my competitor” or “Because I’ll discount my price.”

Look closely. Both answers appeals to a benchmark entirely outside the customer’s business situation. Neither answer addresses the customer’s question.

Old data + moderately sticky product + customers in a mature industry = X
Components of X:
- Don’t anger a whole bunch of today’s customers.
- Where am I going to get better data?
- How am I going to make new friends?
- Can my product (or customer relationships) get any stickier? (incremental strategy – do what we’re [...]

Pretty marketing:
…Does all the things it’s supposed to do.
…Is entirely unobjectionable.
…Often passes extensive legal and functional reviews with flying colors.
…Probably follows the brand standards and logo usage guidelines pretty well.
…May be professionally produced.
…Looks great.
Unfortunately, it also sounds just like everyone else in our space. Maybe it doesn’t even clearly state what the company does.
Gritty [...]

Is your customer buying…
impulsive gratification?
the right to procrastinate?
the fact that someone else can’t have it, while they can?
looking good to a boss?
a moment of positive attention from a significant other?
stress reduction?
adventure?
self confidence?
a class or economic or social statement?
a way to reverse a risky decision (if it goes bad)?
security in the face of perceived danger or [...]

Understand what makes your product most valuable to your customers. Exercise caution when selling under any other circumstances.
Price is always a strategic value question. It gets short shrift in the business plan when the business doesn’t understand its customers’ buying decisions.
Price power is also why so many companies outsource noncore tasks or divest noncore assets. [...]

The first rule of competitive strategy in a commodity market is to quit thinking of your product as a commodity. You may not ever see 80% operating margins or have all the pricing power you want. You also aren’t “exactly the same as everyone else.”
Every interaction with your company or its products, especially for consumers, [...]

You prove nothing about the value of your product or service by giving it away for free.
Giveaways will not automatically discover or build a paying audience for your work, because significant behavioral barriers exist between passively receiving something for nothing and doing the work of buying. Being willing to use something doesn’t mean [...]