Tag Archives: iPod

How to Get Great Messaging Approved

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What would happen if Microsoft did the packaging for the iPod?

Watch this video:

Pretty funny, huh? Probably made by Apple employees or an Apple fan, right?

Except it wasn’t. It was made by Microsoft!

Some folks at Microsoft wanted to show how their normal process creates boring, overloaded, emotionless packaging. And this video was the result. Microsoft never intended this video to get out to the public, but it has now been broadcast all over the Internet.

If someone who watched this video said, “Ha ha! Look how lame Microsoft is,” they missed the key lesson.

None of the decisions shown in that video were made through incompetence or bad intentions. Microsoft hires the most talented, driven, highest-paid people in the world. It’s just that, as more and more people give their well-meant input, the combined effect is a boring, overloaded, unremarkable result.

What is remarkable about this video is how well it messaged the problem to the company’s key players.

The people who created this knew there was a problem in packaging. So, what did they do first?

They showed the problem in such a way that everyone could see how each change, despite its best intentions, contributed to the problem.

Then the people in each functional area could see how seemingly small decisions added up to a big impact on the packaging. And that freed them to look at how to solve the overall problem, which was to create packaging that told the story they wanted to tell in a simple, compelling way.

Now, think about your messaging. Your “standard,” corporate-approved slide deck. Does it have the simplicity and emotional impact of Apple packaging? Or does it more closely resemble Microsoft’s efforts?

If it’s closer to Microsoft’s efforts, you’re not alone.

People often tell us that they would like to have better messaging, but they can’t get it approved through their gatekeepers. And so all too often, they give up.

The first thing to accept is that none of your messaging gatekeepers want to weaken your message. They’re simply looking at messaging through the filter of their own responsibilities.

So, how do you get them to see the problem beyond their immediate responsibilities?

Here’s where you can apply the key lesson from this video to get new messaging approved at your business.

Show people what great messaging looks like. Contrast that great messaging with what can happen to it after it touches many hands. And give everyone involved a chance to be part of the solution. In our experience, when people take that approach, the change can be dramatic.

One more thing.

In launching the Zune, Microsoft ended up creating a package remarkably out of the box. All because someone messaged the problem in a way that all key players knew how they could impact great packaging.

So, what are you going to do to get great messaging created and approved?
A good start might be to e-mail this article to some people you want to influence.

— by Erik Peterson,
Consultant, Corporate Visions Inc.

Value the Competition Couldn’t Touch

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Submitted by: Houman I., National Account Rep

Over the course of twelve years of company acquisitions, 27 entities were now reporting to one office. Each business unit processed their payroll and HR at different times, causing problems, overlaps, discrepancies, extra work, and extra costs. They needed to standardize to one system, on one platform. Only a few vendors could handle this challenge because of the company size and scope of the problem. My company was one of those vendors and we faced stiff competition. One of the competitors was already operating at one-third of the prospect’s existing locations.

The company selected a team of 18 buyers from the largest, most important subsidiaries across the country. The team was to grade each vendor on criteria tied to pre-determined objectives.

For the eight-month-long pre-selection period my strategy was focused on our competitive strengths, while building a personal connection with the key buyers. We made the short list and were invited to the final week of presentations. On the table was an opportunity to win a $1,400,000 deal.

The challenge I faced was to keep the team of 18 buyers engaged over a series of multi-day presentations. I used Power Messaging to the fullest to connect, engage, entertain and compel my audience over the seven days.

Here’re some of the techniques I used:

I created a vision focused around our Power Positions, which favored our strengths, and I posted these value propositions on the wall and kept referring back to them throughout the week.

To highlight the integration of our solution I used a Prop. I brought a digital camera, an audio player and a Rolodex®. Then I wrapped them up with duck tape. “You would need to tape together all of these components to get what’s already available in one system — the iPod,” I said, and pulled an iPod out of my pocket. “When you look at our integrated solution, think iPod.”
The buyers were stuck in a hotel all week, and it was Playoff season, so I thought it might be fun to engage them with a game. I brought sports stickers and logos of the teams in the Playoffs and told the audience if they watched the live games, and told me the score the next day, I would give them a prize. They got very excited and they came back, each morning, with the scores to receive their reward (lottery tickets worth $1,000). They had fun, and the game helped build a personal connection and break up the intensity of the week.
I used Props again in my presentation. This time I used materials relevant to their industry to make a point about flexibility. I brought a sheet of metal and one of aluminum, and said, “These sheets both look alike but are very different.” I bent one over my knee and it stayed bent, losing its original shape. I did the same with the aluminum sheet, and it just flexed. “As you assess the various systems you are presented with, make sure you choose one that is flexible enough to grow with your needs.”
I also used personal stories to further establish the credibility of my solution and to serve their needs. “In the end customer service and implementation come down to the delivery.” Then I told a story about being a pizza delivery guy in college and how I would make sure my deliveries always had the right toppings. I would even carry some extras, just in case the customer had forgotten to order that special sauce. “This is about your needs and my personal commitment to seeing them served,” I concluded.
During the eight months of due diligence, demos, testing, and presentations I kept the personal connection going every step of the way. I believe that swinging this $1,400,000 deal was won by genuine commitment to service. It brought personal Value the competition couldn’t touch.

- Houman I., National Account Rep

Props as Images

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I was speaking to a high-end commercial photographer this weekend about the images he produces for clients. He spoke of one client that wanted multiple, unique, location images they could use in their advertising. The job involved location scouts, several people on the shoot, handling lighting, etc. The total bid for the contract was $250,000. The interesting thing? It’s not an unusual request.

Now here’s the rub. These images, though one-of-a-kind, artistically balanced, and creative, quite probably would have little real revenue generating value to the client. To me this client, and so many like them, have lost their way.

Most images on advertisements, web sites, and brochures are pretty pedestrian. Few have any brand significance. They fall into a variety of categories:

  1. Virtually useless to the story line, have no emotional content, and little relevance to the message trying to be sent.
  2. They help you understand what is being communicated in the printed word – somewhat helping the messages get across. In this case they have a use, but it would be prudent to not spend too much money on these images.
  3. They create an emotional reaction to the story or message. In this case, research shows if the image created an emotional reaction, it has had a positive effect on creating a memory, and can impact revenues. The iPod image is a great one here. The silhouette of a person with the glowing iPod cord instantly gives you a feeling of fun, freedom, hip… gotta have it! This image creates sales. It is metaphorical, so it works on multiple levels when viewed by a person.


So, this is what marketing is dealing with.

Now, what can you do in sales?

Well, when you use a Big Picture, you’re really in category two above. Big Pictures are very important when you are presenting complex concepts. A confused buyer cannot buy. If you add emotional content to the Big Picture, say by adding contrast with a strong story line, you get some extra juice out of the image.

Here is the real kicker. When you use a relevant, emotionally laden PROP, you are probably in category three above! Props are powerful “images.” They are three dimensional. They have embedded meanings and feelings. Your story, when wrapped around the Prop, gets these feelings and meanings attached to it, without any extra work on your part. You can instantly create a “brand” message around them.

Here are some examples:

  • Vendor A has a software product that helps companies save money by improving their operations. The Prop used? One million dollars in a big pile in the middle of the room. Pretty outrageous for sure, you even need a bank guard to come with the prop. But guess what? The prospects will never forget the message!
  • Vendor B improves reliability so much that you can count on their systems performing to extremely high reliability standards. Props like a carabineer can make this point come alive. “When your life depends on reliability, we are a trustworthy as this carabineer.” Strong message, supported by a prop embedded with story.

The point is, when you use Props properly, you can get your message into category three and make an outstanding impact. Done well, this will make a huge difference in your success!

By Chuck Laughlin, Founder, Corporate Visions, Inc.

Bringing Value to Life

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A large computer accessory company was looking to streamline their processes and move away from an in-house platform to outsourcing. Their goal was to free IT and staff from monthly manual reporting while adding workflow for the lacking division of duties. The company was looking for ways to eliminate as many manual tasks as possible without sacrificing ease of use. They wanted one easy-to-use system with proven functionality that streamlined as many Payroll, Time and Attendance, Recruiting, and HR functions as possible. My company sells such a one-stop service. They looked at us and several of our competitors. While many of these competitors offered similar benefits, no single competitor had the breath and depth we had. The challenge was getting the buyer to clearly understand our value and trust a single-source approach.

I used a story analogy in my presentation to explain how the iPod has transformed me from someone who did not read books, work-out, or take care of CD’s to an avid reader (via books on tape), fitness fool, and music connoisseur – all because of the convenience and the power of having it all together.

I presented this story in the first few minutes of the presentation while showing slides illustrating their current situation contrasted with what life would be like under our SINGLE SOURCE solution. I wanted them to understand the difference between our solution and our competitor on this deal. I ended the story by asking to remember the power of iPOD when they think of our solution.

We closed this $165K deal in July.

Houman I.
National Accounts Manager