As it was very well observed by Lorenzo Sierra (2003) in his essay “Sierra’s Theory of Communicativity”, the value of good communication is difficult to observe, and it may not be so evident to understand the relevance of communicating our products or services in a valuable manner.
Poor communication carries a higher cost than what we can perceive. In my business, if our communication is poor, then our prospects do not see the value of improving their skills when they are presenting a product. As a result, their presentations end up being forgettable, and their products seem too similar to their competitors’ products, which, in turn, makes their client think that they are hiring or buying a commodity (no matter what kind of product we are talking about) and end up choosing product based solely on price. A product well communicated, brings actual value to the customer, and is perceived as a solution, an investment, and a need to their business.
A simple way to measure the success of the communication in a presentation is counting the number of sales versus the number of presentations. Our clients understand the importance of good communication, which creates the differentiation from their competitors, and connects them as consultants and partners, instead of mere sales representatives, and, as a result, increase their sales.
Reference:
Sierra, L. (2003, June). Sierra’s theory of communicativity. Communication World, 20(4), 38. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 357794181)
Ron Kendig
Mariana Ciaburri