A selection from the new book: Different Rules – the B2B Marketer’s Guidebook to Product Differentiation

Differentiation opens the door – other things close the B2B sale

By Chris Wirthwein

“It takes more than just being different to make a B2B sale.” I’ve heard that objection to pursuit of a differentiation strategy many times. Funny thing is, I agree with it 100%. Yes, there is much more to making a complex B2B sale than just looking and feeling different from your competitor. But it’s also true that you can never make a sale that never gets underway. In other words, those who ignore you never will, nor can they ever buy your product.

It stands to reason, then, that every completed sale at some point began with a potential buyer becoming aware of your product.

And the single easiest way to grab the attention of a human being – to get noticed – is to be and appear different. That’s the lesson, the rule, if you will of my book DIFFERENT RULES – The B2B Marketer’s Guidebook to Product Differentiation.

So, the first thing to understand about differentiation is how much it will help you get noticed. And being noticed – awareness of your product – is mandatory in order for you to make a sale. This step cannot be skipped. Think of it this way: the maximum number of people who can ever buy your product is equal to the number of people aware of your product’s existence. If 1,000 people ever know about your product, then 1,000 people are the most who can ever buy.

Being different – getting noticed – expands the universe of those who are aware of your product. It increases the size and dollar value of your potential market. There’s much more to say about moving a prospect from “I’m aware of your product” to “I’m interested” and “I want to find out more.” Those subjects and more are covered in the book. For your copy, click the link below.

Read Different Rules - all 154-pages - free online e-book or purchase a hardcopy.

Chris Wirthwein is Senior Director for 5MetaCom, a marketing agency that develops strategies and campaigns to differentiate B2B technical and scientific products. He has authored three marketing books, including his latest, Different Rules: The B2B Marketer’s Guidebook to Product Differentiation. You can reach Chris on LinkedIn or at cwirthwein@5metacom.com.

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