Category Archives: Solution

December 13, 2011 · 10:00 am

Anticipation

Anticipation builds customer loyalty.

A few weeks back, I had a few “wow” experiences that demonstrated the power of anticipation. No matter that they were almost mundane: each experience improved my perception of the brand/company, service or location. And they offer great lessons for solution marketers.

Anticipated receipt

After filling up with gas at the nearby Hess Gas Station, I saw that the gas pump’s receipt printer was out of paper – which is a nuisance. But when I walked into the store to pick up a receipt, the cashier already had my receipt ready – before I could utter a single word. Wow! I’d say that I was actually more impressed with her anticipating my receipt needs than I would have been had the printer actually had paper. I’ve been filling up at this station because they had competitive gas prices. Now I’ll do it because they have great service as well. Continue reading →

Icebergs & Solution Launches

By Steve Robins

It’s what lurks below that drives solution launch success

Icebergs: pretty, grand, glistening in the afternoon sun. The stuff of movies. And even disasters like the sinking of the Titanic.

And yes, these icy wonders share more than a few traits with solution launches.

The process of launching a new solution is much like an iceberg. The most important trait? Just like an iceberg, you see only 10% of the effort above water. Up top and above the water, everything looks shiny and crisp. Pretty even. But just like an iceberg, a launch’s success is based on the 90% of effort, the foundation below the surface — the planning and preparation that sit well below the surface, invisible to the public and to many of your colleagues. Oh, and yes, just like an iceberg, a bad launch can, well, sink a ship. Yikes.

Let me explain. Continue reading →

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Filed under SEVA - Elements of Solution Marketing, SIVA - Elements of Solution Marketing, Software marketing, Solution, The Solution Marketing Blog

Tagged as Icebergs, Marketing, Solution launches, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Steve Robins, technology marketing

April 29, 2011 · 8:00 am

Typewriters, Secretaries and Solution Marketing Lessons

By Steve Robins

As I mentioned in Part I, Secretaries, Typewriters and Solutions, secretaries and typewriters are part of a solution. Following are a few lessons:

#1: Problems change slowly; solutions evolve quickly

As I already mentioned, business problems (creating final communications) remain relatively constant while solutions – the way of solving the problem – change at a faster pace. Continue reading →

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Tagged as Secretaries, Solution Marketing, Solution Marketing Lessons, Typewriters

April 28, 2011 · 8:00 am

Secretaries, Typewriters and Solutions

This week’s news mentioned 2 intertwined stories, one of which is a hoax.

The Hoax

R.I.P. Typewriter

Last week, India’s Business Standard reported Typewriters about to become a page in history since an Indian typewriter producer was running out of the typewriters they stopped producing in 2009 (sounds kind of inevitable to me but I digress). Subsequently England’s The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal’s India site and no less august an institution than the Huff Post ran the same story.

Just one problem: as it turns out though, the typewriter (at least the electronic version) is far from dead – heck you can even pick one up at Staples according to the Washington Post. (Thanks HuffPost and WashPost for debunking the story).

Continue reading →

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Filed under Case Studies, Solution, Solution Marketing

Tagged as Administrative professionals, Administrative professionals' day, Business Standard, Huffington Post, India, Secretary, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Systems, The New York Times, The Telegraph, Typewriter, Wall Street Journal

January 25, 2011 · 6:00 am

BMW Makes Joy. And You?

– By Steve Robins

Does Your Company Make and Sell a Solution? Or a Product?

Rather than focusing on feeds and speeds, competitive comparisons, or sexy features, BMW’s Joy campaign focuses on the benefit that the entire automotive solution provides to BMW drivers: Joy.

“We realized a long time ago that what you make people feel is as important as what you make, and at BMW we don’t just makes cars, we make joy.”

— BMWUSA.com

Continue reading →