Make Me Pay More, Please!
Posted on November 10th, 2020 | Blog
Everyone of us will pay more when we see a true value proposition. If that were not true, we would all be driving cheap cars. We would do our grocery shopping at Dollar Tree. None of us would buy an iPhone or an Android. We all want value. Each of us defines value differently but read more
You Have the Wrong Number! Strategic Differentiation is at Risk
Posted on September 16th, 2020 | Blog
Some businesses have more measurements, controls, and processes than NASA. Others have virtually none. In my 30 years’ experience working very closely with hundreds of companies of all sizes, I have seen only a handful with metrics that are aligned with the highest buying criteria of their customers and prospects. Strategic differentiation depends on having read more
Differentiation Strategy in 2020
Posted on September 14th, 2020 | Blog
Submitted by: Jaynie L. Smith, CEO, Smart Advantage, Inc. You Have the Wrong Number! Your Differentiation Strategy is at Risk It sometimes seems that many businesses have more measurements, controls, and processes than NASA. Others have virtually none. In my 30 years’ experience working very closely with hundreds of companies of all sizes, I have read more
Don’t Know What You Don’t Know?
Posted on August 10th, 2020 | Blog
We all know the dangers of assuming. We all know the peril of projecting. Yet businesspeople at all levels of an organization do it frequently. Some such actions are more hazardous than others. As we work with businesses of all sizes and industries, we have picked out a few assumptions – myths, actually – that we see often. You might read more
Act or Wait? That is the question.
Posted on June 26th, 2020 | Blog
We have all learned in the last few months that not only is “change inevitable” but it is astonishingly unpredictable. Forecast Covid anyone? Did your business plan take that into account? Businesses all over the country, of all sizes have had two basic outcomes from Covid implications: It was either “good for my business read more
Are Your KPIs “K” to Your Customers?
Posted on June 1st, 2020 | Blog
When a salesperson tells you they will deliver “on time,” how much confidence does that give you in your buying decision? Do you know what that really means? Do you sell that way also? Sometimes when you can prove that you have had a high on time delivery rate in the past, it may minimize read more
How will this economic recovery differ from 2008?
Posted on May 8th, 2020 | Blog
Both the 2008 recession and this pandemic were economic and business destroyers but for quite different reasons. How will those differences impact us going forward? On September 29, 2008, the Dow Jones dropped 777 points. We were all shocked. Today that kind of drop seems like an everyday occurrence with an equally shocking bounce read more
Disruption and the Speed of Change
Posted on April 11th, 2020 | Blog
This present virus disrupter may be the right time to think about the future. The question many pose today is this, what will the next disrupter be to impact your industry? For business owners and leaders, that’s the wrong question. Better to ask what you might do differently so that your business will be read more
Business down? Add Lemonade!
Posted on March 17th, 2020 | Blog
Not going to conferences, trade shows, visiting customers? Make a difference now for when you resume business as usual. Smart Advantage can help you find your differentiators and competitive advantages remotely. You never have to leave your office; we don’t have to come on site! Make this worldwide Down Time pay off for your company. Arm your sales read more
Get Your Story Straight, and above all, Consistent!
Posted on March 16th, 2020 | Blog
After reviewing the marketing and sales messages for hundreds of companies, one thing has become glaringly obvious: there is little or no consistency in the messaging from any one company. Often messages are drowning with clichés. Clichés that are replicated on the websites of their nearest competitors. No one stands out, everyone is generally read more