R.O.I. and Some Observations on the Darwinian Market Place
The big mistake we see in the frenzied marketing efforts for software and technology is the push to justify purchase with ROI statements. You can't go to an enterprise software web site and not see an ROI calculator. But what's different about your ROI for customers when all 23 of your competitors are all saying "we give you ROI?" It becomes a generic promise like the promises of the late 1980's about "mission-critical" applications. Sooner or later your Excel spread sheet is a "mission critical" application — meaningless generic promises leave prospects yawning.
What customers are trying to find, sifting through an avalanche of advertising, e-mails and webinars is a compelling solution that uniquely solves their problem. As consumers, we all look for the difference in choosing one product, one experience or a single brand over all others — the technology market is no different. What works in extending a sales message is a campaign focused on the unique differentiation of a company or their product above and beyond the ROI promise. When 23 of your competitors say the same thing to your potential customers, you have to rise above this fray with the one powerful and compelling message that identifies the value that they are looking for. And that means building a brand message that shows how you understand the customer problem and the unique way you solve it. Enabling the customer to recognize that you are delivering that value they are looking for is — literally — the key to survival.
