BUSINESS CORNER
FOUR WAYS TO EXPLAIN
COMPLEX IDEAS TO YOUR CLIENTS
BY MICHELLE LANGE, COMPTIA
Managed service providers can land new
projects by improving one simple skill: Explaining
complex ideas to current and potential clients.
“You want to turn complex topics into
compelling value props,” said Lynette Bohanan
of CommCentric Solutions, a marketing
communications agency that specializes in IT
and the channel.
To get clients to understand complex ideas,
you’ve got to know who they are, make sure
you’re asking at the right time, and ensure what
you’re offering aligns with their needs. Following
these four steps can help.
Bohanan says. You’ll also want to give consumers
one key message instead of listing every benefit
you can think of.
Align Business Objectives
Your product doesn’t matter if the company
doesn’t know how they can use it. Help potential
customers connect the dots on what your product
can do and explain why it will help them. When
you’re doing your fact-finding on the company,
listen to their needs and communicate in ways
and terms that work for both of you.
Get the Timing Right
Proposing a project at the right time can help
you land the work. Bring new ideas in when your
potential clients are making the budget and not
when they’ve just finalized it, for example, and
plan far enough ahead to be able to do it in
stages: awareness, consideration, and selection.
“Give them time to consider it and then time
to make up the contract and get all the pieces in
place,” Bohanan said.”
Click here to read the full article from
CompTIA University.
Understand Your Audience
First, assess the technological IQ of your
contact. Understand who you’re speaking with
and let their knowledge define how you shape
your messaging. Think about your proposal
from their perspective, taking fully into account
respective knowledge levels and hot buttons,
Bohanan advises.
Tailor the Message
In business-to-business models, people tend to
build their messaging around speeds and feeds
and the educational, technological stuff that
goes into a product build. However, when you’re
working with a business-to-consumer client,
you’ll want to work more on an emotional level,
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