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Category Archives: Engineering
Why Living your Value Proposition is a Key to Success in Business Models
If you can get your organization and partners to “live” your value proposition it can do wonders for your customer happiness and business model.
Why B2B Technology markets makes switching too easy
B2B Technology markets can make switching by the customer too easy. Existing or legacy technology can become too cumbersome to use . Or refuses to realize its promise after trying for years. The client, in despair, becomes willing to try a new supplier. That supplier is willing to transfer the legacy system.
The solution is not to become sticky by merely embedding your technology in the customer’s processes. Or make the customer a hostage to your technology. Instead, it’s useful to think of what we learnt in the industrial B2B era as we continue to compete in the knowledge economy.
AdWords for Engineering Companies: start with B2B Buy-Task thinking
Engineering companies are often unsure as to how digital marketing is relevant for them. Frequently, they rely on the sales-force alone to clinch contracts. This can be challenging without digital marketing support. Engineering companies that are in B2B markets need to think in B2B Buy Task format as they structure their Google AdWords campaigns.
[ Note: This post was originally published on May 20, 2016 and due to the great interest of our dear readers this post is updated on March 3, 2021. We have added an example from aerospace from high tech manufacturing. The earlier example food manufacturing remains. In 2021 though, modern food processing facilities tend to be comparable to aerospace in terms of automation, digitization. We hope that this post will inspire readers from manufacturing to redouble their marketing efforts as we come out of COVID 19. ]
B2B Process 2: Why does product specs/SoW feel like a rigged job description?
In Step 2 of the B2B Buying Process, the buying organization develops the Product Specifications/Scope of Work (SoW). This is the document that will be put out for request for proposals (RFP) or tenders. If you have never supplied to the buying company, and you are generally capable, you can face a sudden roadblock. That roadblock feels similar to rigged job descriptions that our dear readers have all experienced.
“Business need” starts the B2B buying process
If you research “B2B buying process” you’ll come up with the steps that a business goes through in the B2B buying process. These include (1) Business need recognition (2) Developing specifications of what will meet the need (3) Request for proposals (RFP) (4) Comparison of proposals/bids and negotiate with suppliers (5) Purchase order placement (6) Delivery and receipt of goods or services (7) Evaluation of suppliers.
The “S” Curves of radical and incremental innovation
What are the “S” curves? Each of the above S curves represent a technology platform. Movement up an “S” curve is incremental innovation while stepping down on a lower new “S” curve now, may lead to radical innovation, as the new “S” curve surpasses your existing “S” curve.
The Cost and Performance Y axis, Time on X Axis: If you look at the Y axis you see performance going up and cost coming down. Just as time goes on. In other words over time a particular S curve and technology platform gets improved. This improvement is through factors such as experience, techniques like 6 Sigma, more adoption by customer. The adoption by customer mean higher sales volumes and costs keep going down. However there is a catch for each S curve.
New Product B2B marketers and the junior manager prospect: problem or opportunity?
No junior or middle manager would like to admit that they have a problem when faced with a new B2B solution that has the potential to vastly improve efficiency or reduce cost. Such an admission involves potentially admitting that the manager is not doing her job. The risks seem just too much with a new supplier, legacy systems and the fear of the unknown. A classic case of marketers trying to promote value as buyers try to reduce risk. And we are not just referring to purchasing and supply management folk- but the potential users of the new product that the marketers is trying to convince in the buying center.
B2B Buying Center members getting younger
If you have enabled demographic reports on your B2B marketing website in Google Analytics, you would have noticed it: there are lots of visitors from the 18-24 and 25-34 age group. We would not be surprised if you sell some non-glamorous industrial product (eg. valves or switches.. with no offence to readers from these industries)Continue reading “B2B Buying Center members getting younger”
Coca Cola “social sharing” can is a brilliant idea
Coca Cola results today pulled down the stock market as overall global sales volumes dipped. Just to cheer up all those Coca Cola loyalists out there, check out the Coca Cola social sharing can video which is truly a brilliant idea. The "sharing can" idea has come from Coca Cola ad agency Ogilvy and MatherContinue reading “Coca Cola “social sharing” can is a brilliant idea”