lhlut lst, Brand 2nd

(Continued from ytge 68 ) competition, and it's hard for prospects to truly see the value difference of your brand and how you can help them.

Is your brand so incorrectly positioned that by just saying your corporate name it paints just one product in the mind of customers? Has your company developed one product that has been so successful that prospects think it's the only thing you sell?

If so, your brand may be getting in the way of selling more. Prospects don't return your calls or ignore you because they have made 'Judgment" observations about what they think your brand is and the value of what you sell.

Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change its name to KFC? Because their brand forced buyers to see only "fried" chicken and not the entire food product line they sell.

Why did AT&T change its name from American Telephone and Telegraph? Obviously, because they don't sell telegraphs any more.

Why did National Cash Register change its name to NCR? Because banks don't buy cash registers, but they do buy the ATM machines that NCR sells.

Every word you say and don't say to prospects paints pictures in their minds called "visual brochures."

Visual brochures are like tv screens that sometimes are out of focus. When you centralize your marketing and sales on one corporate brand, you limit the tv screen's clarity based on the reviewer's knorvledge and lack of knorvledge about what you sell.

By using brand as a door opener or as a discussion item. you are assuming that the prospect knorvs and understands your offering and the offering's value to them if they purchase from you. But, this assumption gives too much weight to the theory that atl buyers knorv horv to buy correctly and that all buyers understand your brand.

To grow your business faster. always communicate value first and brand second.

Business prospects buy based on three and only three reasons:

Your product or service increases income for them.

Your product or service decreases expenses for the buyer.

Your product or service helps your buyer manage their potential risks or consequences.

These business drivers are the true value buyer motivators that induce prospects to buy. and companies and salespeople must use them upfront as tools during their pre-sales cycle to drive prospects to take action steps to buy. This value-forward selling model focuses not on rvhat "brand message" you want your prospect to assimilate. instead it focuses on the results your product or service delivers.

If you sell wholesale inventory to retail chains. instead of telling them horv great your customer service is. instead communicate horv your firm is a "Retail Inventory Turn Improvement Specialist" for businesses like theirs.

If you sell services to builders and contractors. position your pre-sales value as "Construction Cost Management Specialists."

To sell more. stop focusing on your need to tell prospects horv great you are through the positioning of your business brand. and start describing the results your product or services offer them rvhen they select you.

- Paul DiModica is president ol managernent cortsultant Di gital Hat<'h and author of Value Fonvard Selling. He <'an be r eac hed v ia x'li''tt'.pa u ld i mod i ca.r'on.

Western Association News

(Continued from poge 30)

GMC Hardrvoods. Long Beach. Ca.; v.p. Mark Michie. Tropical & Western Lumber. Long Beach: secretary/treasurer Garrison Cox. GLC Milhvorks. Fontana: past president Alan Arbiso. Highland Lumber Co.: membership chair Walter Ralston. W.M. Cramer Lumber Co.. Arcadia: sergeant-at-arms. Nathan Osborne, Osborne Forest Products. Pasadena. and directors at large Robert C. Mitchell. Robert C. Mitchell Hardrvoods. Simi Valley. and Deonn DeFord. Ganahl Lumber Co.. Anaheim. In addition. Osborne was named member of the year.

On Sept. 16. members rvill enjoy a day at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim. Ca.

American Institute of Timber Construction. Centennial. Co.. reelecred as president Bud Filler. Filler King Co.. Homedale. Id.. during its 54th annual meering in Bermuda (see photos, p.96).

Vice president is Gary Burley. Unit Structures LLC. Magnolia. Ar.: rreasurer Trygve Rhude. Sentinel Structures. Peshtigo. Wi.: past president Craig Van Cott. Unadilla Laminated Products. Unadilla. N.Y.. and directors Mike Allen. Arizona Structural Laminators. Eagar. Az.: Doug Hucke. Timberrveld Manufacturing. Billings. Mt.: Ed Jones. Laminated Timbers. London. Ky.. and Mike Lane. QB Corp.. Salmon. Id.

Structural Board Association presented Grant Forest Products' Englehart mill rvith the Ron Baker Award for Excellence in OSB Manufacruring for the third straight year.

Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association elected and installed 2OO6-2ffi7 officers and board of directors at its spring meeting.

Nerv president is Chuck Stein. Cultured Stone: v.p. Mike Lervis. Eldorado Stone Inc.. and secretary/treasurer Ardeen Brever. Boulder Creek Stone Products. They are joined on the board by Scott Ebersole. Coronado Producrs. and Tony Mullet, Dutch Quality Stone Inc.