Since The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out, I think now is good a time as any to quote: “With great power, comes great responsibility.”
And if your software leads grant great power to your ERP firm, you should know the great responsibility they carry with it.
But since we’re on the topic of superheroes (with Marvel already releasing two films in this month alone), how we take the powers associated with software lead generation and tie them to the responsibility they entrust you as a result.
The Power of Promises
Whether you’re in a B2B industry like EMR software or just another retailer, making promises and guarantees is pretty much in every marketer’s script.
“We promise to reduce your overhead.”
“Our database is guaranteed to be the finest fit for your practice.”
You’ve heard these lines before (too many times even). Yet still, you attract those who are either just desperate or actually carrying the hope you will keep that promise.
This is where the responsibility lies, obviously. Why else do you think these pitches aren’t always landing on open ears? (And even if they were, why do they keep coming out the other?) It’s because not everybody lives up to the promises they make.
Sure, it’s worth celebrating when a prospect comes in highly interested and then your salespeople engage them to make the sale. However, do you want that celebration short-lived if you end up with an unhappy customer in the end?
The Power of Persuasion
Both sales and marketing are fields schooled in the art of persuasion. You identify pain points, understand hesitation, and use your knowledge to formulate the best case for your prospect’s decision.
But even if you did, what happens when regret comes in the picture. What if the problems of the implementation start proving the stronger argument? Your presentations looked better on paper. What if the reality seems to hit harder?
Are you prepared for the many times your new customers will question the things you’ve earlier said? Preparing rebuttals isn’t only the job of telemarketers, appointment setters, or your other software lead generators.
The Power of Pricing
Finally, you have the habit of engaging in price wars. Suppose your innovative genius lies less in software engineering and more on getting the right numbers on your ledger.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Even the most ingenious of today’s technology is still a little ways away from the cost and practicality department. (Case in point: the USS Enterprise.) Sometimes it’s just better to improve on an old tech idea by making it cheaper (and greener if you’re into Captain Planet).
One thing you have to be wary of however is the risk of cutting too many corners. There’s cheap and then there’s too cheap. Good quality tech at an insanely low price is really too good to be true. Nobody buys it as much as they don’t buy easily on flowery promises. In this case, the power of pricing is another one that suffers from excessive, abusive use.
That’s just three marketing superpowers by the way. I got a feeling that there’s more out there but like these three, they carry the responsibility of their consequences. From raised customer expectations to relationship building, your great powers of pitching and selling have their own price of responsibility.