More Related Content Similar to Beyond Products: Solution Marketing - BPMA Feb 16, 2012 (20) More from Steve Robins (9) Beyond Products: Solution Marketing - BPMA Feb 16, 20121. Beyond Products:
Solution Marketing
Steve Robins
February 16, 2012
© 2009-2012
© 2011
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
2. CBOND
competition
company
products
yourself
services
limits
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
3. Beyond Solution
Products: Marketing
THE Solution Marketing Blog
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
4. What is “it”?
What’s Happening What’s Needed
• Customers want it • Solutions make life easier
• But most customers • Technology is increasingly complex and • Help customers
can’t do it on their own customers lack in-house resources, time,
expertise
• Apple, IBM and Chuck e • Each offers complete solutions to
Cheese sell it customers…
Apple iPad ecosystem, IBM industry
solutions, Chuck e Cheese birthday
• Most tech companies
claim to have it
package
“It” = Solutions
• Seems like everyone sells solutions today
• Provide discipline, rigor,
consistency – best
practices
• But none of them know • But there’s not a common definition
what it is
• Sales thinks they’re • Many sales teams use the Solution Selling • Help Marketing to work
selling it… methodology with Sales
• Provide a solution
• …but they’re doing it • But Solution Selling does not provide methodology for
without Marketing. strategic guidance for Marketing Marketing
• It can be confusing • Solution Marketing Blog,
• There’s little discipline around solutions
Group, Consulting
p4
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
5. What is “it”? Solutions is It.
What’s Happening What’s Needed
• Customers want it • Solutions make life easier
• But most customers • Technology is increasingly complex and • Help customers
can’t do it on their own customers lack in-house resources, time,
expertise
• Apple, IBM and Chuck e • Each offers complete solutions to
Cheese sell it customers…
Apple iPad ecosystem, IBM industry
solutions, Chuck e Cheese birthday
package • Provide discipline, rigor,
consistency – best
• Most tech companies • Seems like everyone sells solutions today practices
claim to have it
• But none of them know • But there’s not a common definition
what it is
• Sales thinks they’re • Many sales teams use the Solution Selling • Help Marketing to work
selling it… methodology with Sales
• Provide a solution
• …but they’re doing it • But Solution Selling does not provide methodology for
without Marketing. strategic guidance for Marketing Marketing
• It can be confusing • Solution Marketing Blog,
• There’s little discipline around solutions
Group, Consulting
p5
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
6. Steve Robins
10+ years in solution marketing
– Expertise in solution, industry and product
marketing
– Experience: FirstBest Systems, Solution
Marketing Strategies, EMC Documentum, KANA,
The Yankee Group
Founder, The Solution Marketing Blog, • Provide a solution
Top-rated solution marketing blog methodology for Marketing
• Discipline, rigor,
Inbound Marketing Certified consistency – best
Professional practices
• Help Marketing to work with
s.robins [at] SolutionMkt.com Sales
LinkedIn.com/in/SteveRobins1 • How:
Twitter.com/SteveRobins • Solution Marketing
Blog
SolutionMarketingBlog.com
Slideshare.net/Steve_Robins • LinkedIn Group
p6
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
7. Solutions Everywhere
Device Device Kid food
+ + +
Software Software Adult food
+ + +
Content Content Entertainment
+ + +
Cloud Cloud Activities
+
Party gifts
p7
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
8. Solutions Everywhere
p8
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
9. Agenda
Introduction
Beyond products
Solution marketing
– Solution
– Education & engagement
– Value
– Access
Building your solution marketing strategy
– Discovery
– Strategies for solutions, education & engagement, value, access
– Case studies
A cautionary tale
Next steps, Q&A
p9
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
10. Beyond Products
The Solution Imperative
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
11. Typical Company Wants…
Customer
Tech-
nology
Company
p11
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
12. What is a Solution Anyways?
so·lu·tion
noun sə-ˈlü-shən
General definition:
a: an action or process of solving a
problem
b: an answer to a problem
so·lu·tion
noun sə-ˈlü-shən
Business definition:
A complete and integrated
offering that includes everything
required to solve a customer
problem
p12
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
13. Typical Customer Wants…
Services
User
Tech-
nology Process
Customer
---
Pain
Points
Content/ Data
Complete Solution
Everything to solve the customer’s problem
p13
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
14. Complete Solution
User • User interfaces • Best practices
• Training • Domain expertise
• Support
Process • Process optimization • Integrated experiences
• Reengineering • ROI studies
• Workflow • Security
Content/ • Content • Data
Data Documents • External data sources
Images • Data security, data policies
Video
Music
Books
Technology • Hardware/ infrastructure • Complementary technologies
• Software platforms • Integrations
• Applications • Custom coding
Services • Strategy • Integration services
• Project management • Communications services, hosting
• Risk management • Support
• Custom coding
p14
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
15. Why Solutions?
Increasing complexity of technology
Limited in-house IT to support systems
Avoid in-house/SI build or integration
Business users drive tech decisions but don’t
understand the technology
Mature markets
p15
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
16. Why It Matters
The Chasm Main Street
Relative % of Customers
The Solution Opportunity
The Tornado
End of Life
Early Life Bowling
Alley
Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority/ Late Majority Laggards Time
Technology Visionaries Pragmatists Conservatives Skeptics
Enthusiasts
Customers want technology Customers want solutions and convenience
and performance Sources: E.M. Rogers, G. Moore
p16
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
17. Solution Marketing
Customer-Centric
Marketing for Today
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
18. What is Solution Marketing?
so·lu·tion mar·ket·ing
noun sə-ˈlü-shənˈmär-kə-tiŋ
The process of defining,
educating, and providing access
to complete and integrated
solutions
that deliver value
by helping customers to solve
their problems.
p18
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
19. Solution Marketing Adds Value To
Marketing, Sales and Product Management
Field
Enablement
Social Media Frictionless
Sales
Marketing Product
Support Management
p19
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
20. The 4 P’s – All About the Company
“Build it and
they will come”
Product
Best channels
for us to sell Place Pro-
the product motion
Company
Outbound,
interruption
marketing
Price
Cost-plus;
margin is king
p20
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
21. Solution Marketing – All About the Customer
“How can I solve
Strategy, Metrics
my problem?”
Solution
Product
“How can I
“Where can Education
Access
Place Pro- learn more
I find it?” Engagement
Customer motion about it?”
---
Company
Pain
Points
Price
Value
“How will it help me and
what is my total sacrifice
to get this solution?”
End-to-End Marketing for Today
Customer-Focused Marketing
p21
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
22. Building Your Solution
Marketing Strategy
Discovery
Strategies for:
Solutions
Education & Engagement
Value
Access
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
23. 360o Discovery
What markets and What will each solution How will we educate and How will we incorporate How would the user/buyer
solutions should we do and include? engage with potential and communicate value? like to buy and use the
target? users and buyers? solution?
Internal Solution Persona Value Access
• Revenue Requirements • Titles • Before/after process • Best channels
• Current offerings • Use cases • Business challenges • Before/after • Optimal role of
• Core competencies • Revenue • Career goals challenge/gain VARs, SIs, direct
sales, buying on
•
•
Oppor-
Solution maturity
Sales-readiness
•
•
Business challenges
Solution
Industry/function
• Thought process
Users
•
Value
Customer’s value
drivers - Access
contract
• Preferred delivery
tunity
External •
trends
Key components
How to connect
• “Hang-outs” –
• Drivers
dollar impact
ROI Needs
models… Software?
• Purchasing habits, SaaS? Business
• Under-solved • Buy vs build communication Process
challenges • Testing channels, pubs, budget
Outsourcing?
• Top market, solution trade shows, social
opportunities media
• Segment size • Industry jargon
• Market drivers • Influence levers (ex
• Competition case studies?)
p23
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
24. 360o Discovery
Portfolio Solution User Customer Solution
Strategy Development Personas Value Access
What markets and What will each solution How will we educate and How will we incorporate How would the user/buyer
solutions should we do and include? engage with potential and communicate value? like to buy and use the
target? users and buyers? solution?
Internal Solution Persona Value Access
• Revenue Requirements • Titles • Before/after process • Best channels
• Current offerings • Use cases • Business challenges • Before/after • Optimal role of
• Core competencies • Revenue • Career goals challenge/gain VARs, SIs, direct
• Solution maturity • Business challenges • Thought process • Customer’s value sales, buying on
• Industry/function drivers - contract
• Sales-readiness
trends dollar impact • Preferred delivery
How to connect models… Software?
External • Key components • ROI
• “Hang-outs” – SaaS? Business
• Under-solved • Buy vs build communication • Purchasing habits,
budget Process
challenges • Testing channels, pubs, Outsourcing?
• Top market, solution trade shows, social
opportunities media
• Segment size • Industry jargon
• Market drivers • Influence levers (ex
• Competition case studies?)
p24
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
25. Solution Needs Hierarchy
Intelligence: Mature
templates, 5
rules etc
Components &
4 integrations
Business
3 value
Solution description –
2 what it does
Target audience and
1 business problem Less
Mature
p25
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
26. Solution Strategy
• General strategy:
• Target markets/functions, solutions
• Solution maturity
• Partner
• Buy vs build
• Completeness: Platform > Framework > Templates > Application
• Portfolio management
• Revenue goals
• Cross-functional team
• Metrics for success
• Cross-functional alignment, organizational support
• Development/engineering/product management
• Channel/SI partners
• Marketing
• Sales
• Support
• Services
p26
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
27. PowerAdvocate Offers Complete Solutions
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION
Business challenge:
Optimize procurement in the energy
sector (power plants)
Company challenge:
Differentiate the company from larger
players like Ariba
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
28. PowerAdvocate Offers Complete Solutions
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION
Products: SaaS solutions for
procurement
spend, cost, market, sourcing Solution Assessment
User
Services: Industry experts Process
provide services to lower Content/Data
costs Technology
Data: Market-specific Services
procurement data and
analysis
Differentiator: industry-specific data
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
29. Education & Engagement: Message
$
Insured
Agent
Carrier
Loss ratio
Consistent/ Value-
Targeted True Driven Relevant Jargon
p29
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
30. Education & Engagement: Strategy
Challenge Buy
& How to Now!
Market Market Demand Frictionless Field
Education Engagement Gen Sales Enablement/
Sales
p30
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
31. Value = Benefit - Cost
Value Benefits (Improvement)
Profit, expense, revenue drivers
New business
Time savings
Productivity improvement
Headcount reduction
$Dollars
Soft benefits
Total Cost of Ownership
External…
– Software
– Hardware
– Services
Internal…
© 2011 www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com – Training
– Change management
– Desktop upgrades
– IT management
p32
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
32. Value-Based Pricing
Value = Benefit - TCO
Assume that vendor charges fair price
for features provided
Business Benefit ($)
Lost revenue
Customer
Benefit Unneeded features
Customer
Benefit Price
Customer Customer
Benefit Benefit
A B C D
High Value Fair Value Poor Value Fair Value
Lost software Price matches Unneeded Price matches
revenue benefit features benefit
Solution use-case drives benefit and value
p33
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
33. Microsoft SharePoint Delivers Value
with 50% of the features
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
Share information with other
people in the enterprise
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
34. Microsoft SharePoint Delivers Value
with 50% of the features
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
“
We don’t claim we do everything.
If we do 50 percent of the
functions that these other
companies do, but they’re the ones
customers really want, that’s fine.
”
The magic is that end users
actually like to use the software.
Chris Capossela
Senior Vice President
Information Worker Product Management Group , Microsoft
NY Times 8/2/2009
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
35. Microsoft SharePoint Delivers Value
with 50% of the features
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
Significant growth at expense
of mainstream ECM vendors
Lesson: Customers gain value by
buying only the features they need
E
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
36. Access
Be flexible
Provide seamless experience
Enable frictionless sales
Complete/close the sale quickly
Ensure success thru “the last mile”
p37
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
38. Solution Marketing Failure
Solution
– Don’t give customers what they want
Education/Engagement
– Blame your offering’s failure on communication instead of admitting it was
just a really bad idea
Value
– Base your pricing on what works for you, not for customers
– Nearly double prices for your best customers
– Decrease customers’ perceived value of your solution
Access
– Make it more difficult to do business with you – split your offering into 2
websites
– Dis-incent customers from buying both of your services
p39
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
39. Solution Marketing Failure
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
Convenient, inexpensive
access to entertainment
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
40. Solution Marketing Failure
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
Inexpensive
All-you-can-eat
Video by mail
New: streaming
New pricing plans, July 2011:
streaming vs. video by mail
Focus on what’s good for Netflix,
not the customer
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
41. Solution Marketing Failure
BIZ CHALLENGE SOLUTION RESULT
New pricing plan
28 July 2011 $944
$263 $894
26
$238 $844
Revenue ($ Millions)
Subscribers (Millions)
24
$794
22 $176 $744
$155
20 $694
$107 $644
18 $113
$594
$75
16 $69 $544
14 $494
3/2010 6/2010 9/2010 12/2010 3/2011 6/2011 9/2011 12/2011
Unique subcribers Revenue
Subscriber trend Revenue trend
Stock price Sources: NetFlix, Google
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog
44. Getting Started
1. Begin internal discovery
2. Know the customer
3. Define the business problem
4. Move from feature/benefit business
value
5. Think about solution completeness
6. Bonus: how are market/tech forces
changing solution requirements?
p45
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
45. Q&A
Services Strategy, Metrics
User Solution
Product
Tech- Education
Access
Place Pro-
nology Process Engagement
Customer Customer motion
--- ---
Company
Pain Pain
Points Points
Content/ Data Price
Value
Complete Solution Solution Marketing
p46
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
46. Thank You
Steve Robins s.robins [at] SolutionMkt.com
Founder LinkedIn.com/in/SteveRobins1
The Solution Marketing Blog
Twitter.com/SteveRobins
SolutionMarketingBlog.com
Slideshare.net/Steve_Robins
www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
p47
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
47. Take the Next Step
Saturday
June 9, 2012 We’re hiring!
Microsoft NERD firstbest.com/
Cambridge company-careers.htm
www.ProductCampBoston.org
Solution Marketing Pros www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
LinkedIn Group
THE
linkedin.com/groups? Solution Marketing
gid=1826720 Blog
p48
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog www.SolutionMarketingBlog.com
48. Beyond Solution
Products: Marketing
THE Solution Marketing Blog
© 2009-2012
Steve Robins, The Solution Marketing Blog