BNI Minnesota & N. Wisconsin Blog

by LuAnn Buechler, CMP

There is a Silver Lining in every LCD…

The importance and yet simplicity of things we have learned or are learning through BNI are so painfully obvious at times – I have to laugh. The importance of the LCD (Lowest Common Denominator) and our ability to articulate that to our fellow members is so important; it is the silver lining in every cloud or haze of information. It is amazing to me  that every business person in the world is not keenly keyed in to the importance of LCDs as they market their business to their consumers.

Let me give you an example…

I get this e-mail one day that informs me of the built in efficiency of a household product: Aluminum Foil. Did you know that every box of aluminum foil, not just the brand named product, but every brand available, comes with a little tab at each end of the box that you push in to secure the roll when you pull out the foil? These little tabs create the spindle necessary to pull on the roll and make it roll, without pulling the whole thing out of the box. Come on now, we have all done it… pulled the roll of foil right out of the box and then complained (in explatives) that the thing never works right. So tell me, have you ever heard about the little tabs on the end of the box? Because many of the e-mail correspondents on that e-mail had not – including me.

Those little tabs at the end of the box are one LCD for that product – aluminum foil. Reynolds apparently has instructions at the end of their aluminum foil box to tell consumers how to use it. Obviously I do not read the ends of boxes. Even more interesting is that the generic aluminum foil that I use at home today also has these tabs (I checked), yet with no explanation. They apparently have made the assumption that we all once used Reynolds Aluminum Foil and so we know the system. Therefore, accepting their “generic” affiliate status and riding on the marketing (albeit not effective) tails of the brand name product. WHEN the reality is we didn’t know anything about it.

What if the marketing team at Reynolds developed a commercial around that one LCD resolving all of our conflicts and personal frustrations with aluminum foil. What if one of their competitors developed a commercial around this feature to set themselves apart from the others? Who would have sold more product if we only knew about this feature?

The greater point is that in all the years that Reynolds and all other aluminum foil packages have existed and been used by millions of Americans, and even though mothers around the world have worked with their children, and we have shown us how aluminum foil is used in everyday cooking, millions of people have absolutely no idea that those little tabs exist.

Breaking your business down into its smallest parts can help you identify the silver lining or slivers of information your customers need to distinguish you from your competitors. Do not assume that the consumer understands your product or service as you do. “Do not assume they read the end of the box.” Remember to describe the smallest things that you do to set your company apart.

Every little thing you do makes a difference. Identify those unique differences or benefits in your company. Create a commercial around each of those LCDs to inform your sales team and your consumer of all you do to serve them in great detail. Never assume that because your competitor does it or even if it is an industry standard that the consumer knows it.

Identify and describe the LCDs of your products and services to your greatest sales force – your BNI chapter members, so they can tell their referrals about it – your potential clients.

by Beth M. Anderson

When we prepare our 60 second Sales Manager Minute or our 10 minute presentation for our BNI Meeting, how do we do it? We start writing from the beginning, right? And then we may even practice it a couple of times - stopping where it doesn’t sound right, making some changes in the middle - and each time we start reading from the beginning again. By the time we’re done we have that first part nailed.

But what about the ending? The ending (aka, the close) is actually the important part.

What do you want the audience to be thinking about at the end? What message are you trying to convey? Do you ASK for the referral?

Next time you prepare a presentation, whether it’s 1 minute or an hour, start at the end. What do you want your audience to do when you’re done? And then write the beginning to get to the end.