What makes sugar sweet? I mean, what is the chemistry involved in the sweet taste?

Our tongue detects the sugar molecule by its shape. Sugar molecule fits into grooves in our tongue tip, and when this groove is filled a nerve sends a message to the brain that says -sweet!. It is as simple as that.

Sweetness is not in the sugar, then; but in our minds.

Perceptions, are derived senses actually. They are managed by more evolved areas of our brain. For instance the perception of flavor -a derived sense, is a combination of taste + smell.

And what makes our product sweet, then? Does it reside in product features (molecule shape), or more in how it fits with our client’s taste pores?

Almost all experienced sales people learned how to link product features and benefits. Features (molecule) give you credibility, while Benefits (taste) give you marketability. But it is Positioning (perception) that makes you close the sale. Product perception involves complex associations, based on client’s personal experience on similar products.

The good news is that perception and positioning are (still) far too complex phenomena to be automated by any software means. Experienced sales persons, with good questioning and listening skill can still make the difference.

A common marketing mistake, is using the wrong language with clients.

An example of wrong language is the flight information provided by the captain over the intercom: “Our aircraft is flying at 625 knots Indicated Air Speed“ Knots? I can barely convert miles to kilometres. Air-speed? I would rather know the aircraft speed.

I would recommend not to use techie jargon with your clients. Fit with your client’s measurement system, or s/he will continue to nap.

An engineer of a company called me saying: “Our COO wants us to evaluate your software for our product design”. Then we set a meeting with him and the COO.

This morning I went there; a first technical meeting with the designers, before seeing the COO. They said the software would be used as an on-off application on a single project. They found the software difficult to learn, therefore they asked me for a quotation for a consultancy project. Then, the COO joined the meeting. I resumed what I was asked by his engineers, and this is what he said: “I don’t need you to design my product, I want my engineers to do that for all our products”. His engineers nodded in agreement.

Customers lie, for many personal reasons. Rephrasing the Newton’s law of inertia:

An object (an engineer) at rest (working in Research & Development) will remain at rest (will use the same technology, methods) unless acted upon by an external and unbalanced force (unless their boss twists their ears).

Perceived quality is what a customer is willing to pay for. Take a car, for example. Power and velocity are a proxy of quality by clients. Quality and price of a car are strongly correlated.

Take engineering software then. Simulation accuracy and velocity are two major benefits clients are looking for. The first is how much the simulation fits the reality, the latter is how the product design time can be shortened.

For some reasons the software price continue is not correlated to those qualities and continue to be linked to technical features only. Linking price and the perceived value, makes easy converting software advantages into a premium price.

How do you call your customer?

Consumer companies refer to retailers as direct customers. I think this may create a mindset where satisfying the intermediary matters most. B2B companies refer to accounts.  Though account is synonym of client, it also means: “a record of debit and credit entries”. Account is misleading too, as it figures a relationship mainly made of formal business arrangements.

Boss. Why not calling your customer boss. You can call me boss manager, then.