Tuesday 2¢ - Why Now?

Does it still count as a Tuesday 2¢ if I wrote it on Tuesday and published on Thursday? Well, time is the topic this week...

What is your prospective client doing right now?

They presumably have the problem that you, your product, or service can solve, but they haven’t picked you to help solve it (yet).

But the problem exists, and they are somewhere on the journey to solving it.

Are they using a competitor?

Nah, more likely it’s a spreadsheet.

It’s always a spreadsheet.

Wrapped up in some process duct tape, some complex macro magic that only Sam knows how to untangle (and he left a couple of months ago), and a side order of cut and paste from that system. You know the one.

Okay, so maybe it's a competitor, but are they happy?

Is the category you are in so dull that all the competitors are equal?

Is there not a flipper on your flapper that would make their day just a little easier?

Hmmmm…

Maybe not that either.

This one has their head in the sand, ignoring the problem.

It’s fiiiiiiiiiiine.

As it’s often said, “do nothing” is the biggest competitor in B2B. In most categories, a good shout (based on zero research and just a guess) would be that the second is a workaround, whether it's a spreadsheet or using a tool that isn’t quite built to solve the specific problem they have.

But it’s fine.

It doesn’t feel urgent enough to do anything about it.

The change you are selling (in B2B marketing, whether it's a product or service, it will require a change) has more friction than facing the daily death by a thousand paper cuts that the current solution (or lack thereof) feels like.

We are often very good at talking about “why us” in B2B marketing. And sometimes we do better than just banging on about the features and functions, we tell stories, we offer the promised land.

It seems obvious to us.

Take a look at the features, benefits, and the promised land.

Why wouldn’t you?

But that’s not enough.

We need to ask if the prospective client chose you today and not tomorrow, next week or next quarter, what is in it for them?

What gifts and evidence can you offer?

Is it more money, less time, less cost, or more time for them to do the thing they want to be doing instead of getting endless paper cuts?

Why now?