What are you selling?

What Are You Selling? Who's Your Customer?

Peter Drucker claimed, "the purpose of a company is to create a customer." You have to agree with that on some level.

Being distinctly aware of "what you are selling" and "who is your customer" is extremely important to your success. Yet, I know from experience that it can sometimes be hard to pinpoint. That's due in part to the overflow of information and messages that permeate around us.

We're told to have a vision, mission and/or purpose. Seminars, books, and coaches on best practices tell us to create something bigger than ourselves, and I agree. That ties directly to one of my pillars: build yourself out in front. But bring it home. Bring it down to the grassroots; you have to pay very specific attention to knowing, being sure about "what" you're selling and "who" is your customer.

Ronald Skelton posted on Twitter (@RonaldKSkelton) that marketing raises awareness but selling is getting the check. That's specific and a salesman needs to know that difference.

If you are a mortgage loan officer? do you make dreams happen? Or do you sell mortgage loans? Did you take a application yesterday?

Insurance agents, do you give peace of mind, or sell policies? Did you write a policy yesterday?

Social media consultants, attorneys, executive coaches, accountants, IT businesses, financial planners; what do you sell? Who is your customer?

Everyone, every team, every company, every manager, every executive and every board must do a better job of understanding who the customer is and how to create sales. The revision of Drucker's book "The Five Most Important Questions You'll Ever Ask About Your Organization" states that if Drucker were alive today he would say "a company's most important purpose is to create fans." Can you create real fans without selling?

Just be sure you're getting checks and keep this out in front, right along with your mission statement. Know your mission, know what you're selling and know who your customer is.

Todays's Monday, I pray that you start your week well.

To that end.....

Danny