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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis visual shows you the 5 steps that make up any business*. Value creation, marketing, selling, value delivery, and finance. Take out 1 steps and you don’t have a business anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just showing your subject matter experts these 5 steps, helps them understand that marketing and selling are essential parts of any business. Also, their<\/em> business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When talking to subject matter experts, I usually start with value delivery<\/strong>. This is what your colleagues spend 80 – 90% of their time on. They’re constantly resolving clients’ challenges by providing services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you can only provide services, if you understand your clients’ challenges. And, develop something to help them overcome these challenges: value creation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you can provide your services and resolve your clients’ challenges, you’ll need some degree of marketing<\/strong> and selling<\/strong>. You’ll need to create awareness in the market and generate demand for your services. You’ll also need to remove barriers to buy from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you’ve delivered your services, you’ll need to get paid: finance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, there are marketing and business development tasks in most of these 5 steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It helps to recognize that a lot of these tasks are performed largely by your colleagues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When speaking with your subject matter experts…<\/p>\n\n\n\n And finally, make sure to align it all with your other marketing and <\/em>branding efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hope this helps!<\/p>\n\n\n\n * According to Josh Kaufman in his book The Personal MBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Spark was published as MBD Boost #019<\/strong> on September 24, 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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