Customers are everywhere – we just need to be tuned in to find them. Any committed executive having a little business orientation can spot them if only he or she applied themselves intelligently. For all the training and field trips that sales, business development and marketing teams are put through, sometimes simple common sense is what you need to land a good customer.
I was recently at a seminar organized by an industry body for a specific member group. The theme was to connect technology and industry for mutual benefit. Speaker after speaker, reading out from generic corporate presentations, extolled the virtues of their organization claiming their place as the best technology providers to industry.
All good. But what one had hoped to hear was about how their technology could specifically support this group of audience. Information along these lines that could have been proactively shared to generate interest but sadly was not:
Did they have products and solutions specifically for this group? How have these solutions helped similar organizations? Was customization possible? What kind of ROI can be expected on investments? What kind of customer support was available?
These speakers clearly missed an opportunity to reach out to potential customers who ironically were their captive listeners for the better part of the program. All they needed to have done was some simple homework to map their target audience and anticipate their business needs. Some tweaking of their standard presentations to customize for this group could have resulted in superior communication and positive outcome. Not only was an opportunity wasted, but also their own time was ill spent. There was clearly a disconnect between the two sides. And the audience was left wondering whether technology was required after all!
Spotting business opportunities is not always a complicated effort. Being aware of the surroundings and applying your knowledge can also yield results. There is only so much you can gain from books or training to become a successful business operator. Ultimately it is about getting your business sense in place, understanding your customers and planning your efforts!