Business discussions regarding value creation or the utilization of resources employ two languages.
Those who work within the operation most often speak in terms of things – units, hours, etc. Senior leadership speaks in the language of money – dollars earned or saved.
To attract senior leadership attention, middle managers in these businesses are required to translate the language of things into the language of dollars. Decisions are always made using the language of money.
The same translation is necessary for those proposing solutions to customers. The projected benefits created by your proposed solution must be quantified in the language of money so that decision-makers can easily assess their value to the business. If you don’t know the worth of a unit or hour to the customer, rely on your experience to specify an incremental amount that is included in your proposal. At the very least, the customer may react to your assumption and enlighten you.
Connect the generated value in your proposal to a customer’s goal or aspiration and they will see your solution as an investment in their future rather than as a one-time expense that relieves a short-term pain. Go one step farther and describe how your solution also strengthens their competitive advantage, and your generated value will be perceived as strategic.
Speak the customer’s language and you’ll be recognized as a potential partner in their success. You’ll likely accelerate their decision-making as well.
How often do your solutions project benefits for the customer in the language of money?
What should change in your discovery dialogue with the customer to enable this?
