GlobalBX

In recent times I have been using a number of good business ideas that involve the term ‘second’, based on having second thoughts about key issues. For example, the phrase ‘features and benefits’ means nothing to the market, because customers are only interested in what we get done, not what we do…and so on second thoughts it should read ‘benefits and features’. The same logic applies to ‘handling objections’, because good sales people ‘anticipate and deal with objections’ before they enter the minds of customers. ‘Ask for the order’ is another misnomer, because in fact we should ‘suggest the order’ (as with a doctor ‘prescribing’ action), and a classic lie is ‘knowledge is power’…which is not true. The truth, on second thoughts, is that ‘giving knowledge is power’, because valuable information does not belong to you, it belongs to those you serve…and if you do not give knowledge then you, like a product that remains unused, will go stale (the accounting profession is dying because of staleness!). Another serious distraction is having a ‘customer focus’, which is wrong because you are selling to business people, not to customers… and the ‘customer retention’ theory is mistaken because the only way to keep customers is to engage in consistent ‘customer development’. Other deceptive business beliefs include ‘the customer is always right’, which only relates to the kind of service the market prefers; also ‘give customers what they want’, which is incorrect because we must find what they really need…and ‘the purpose of business is to make money’. The true purpose of business is to sell mutual progress…at a profit. Finally, the notion of ‘time management’ is redundant because we can only manage ourselves, not time. So, having established the need for second thoughts, here are some key issues that benefit from this cognitive concept:

• The second market gap…is the one that means the most to customers and the least to suppliers. The first market gap concerns established ‘demand’ for products and services, which is the area that most suppliers fight in…and the second market gap relates to future growth, potential or opportunity to improve results. All customers will spend all their lives in the future, and yet very few suppliers sell ideas that contribute to this key area

• The second skill…concerns the knowledge and talent required for suppliers to enter the second gap. Most suppliers focus on product knowledge, which will not build better business results

• The second economy…concerns our own business efforts and results, while the first economy reflects the condition of the large economy we contribute to. No matter what state the first economy is in, we have complete control over the second economy!

• The second sales force…is made up of our customers, whether they are resellers or users of our products and services. It may be hard to direct and control the first sales force, our employees, but if we do not learn how to stimulate and create success with the second sales force…we are doomed to ‘sell in’ rather than to ‘sell out’

• The second loyalty…is created when customers prefer to do business with your company, even though they may be able to access better prices, etc., elsewhere, not because they ‘like you’ but because you contribute the ‘second skill’ to help them consistently improve results in the future (the second market gap)

• The second nature…refers to a commitment to perform your sales duties in a fluent, interesting, flawless manner…based on much preparation and rehearsal

I hope you can use these ‘second thoughts’ as first class debate at sales or training meetings.