| OK, through your Value Chain analysis you've | | | | Unaided, Step 13 in your assembly process isn't |
| discovered that a key component in your | | | | easy. But, once the customer reads the quick |
| assembly instructions was discontinued. The | | | | instructions on the yellow sheet and knows how |
| yellow piece of paper that explained Step 13 in | | | | to properly insert the stove bolt, then it's a |
| tricycle assembly was deleted; the attendant | | | | breeze. |
| result was a huge up-spike in Helpline calls from | | | | Many marketers think of signaling criteria and use |
| frustrated customers asking about Step 13. | | | | criteria as living in different silos. At least they |
| Your solution--bring back the yellow. You mention | | | | must, because that's the way their marketing |
| this to management, and it's approved. It takes a | | | | appears. It's as if they never talk to their |
| while--after all; you've still got the entire current | | | | customers about how they really use their |
| inventory in the stores. But there's also a quicker | | | | products. |
| way to distribute that flyer. You can email it | | | | In reality, signaling criteria can reinforce use criteria |
| directly to the customers that call in to the 1-800 | | | | and help to position you in an extremely powerful |
| Helpline. Plus, you can post a link to it on your | | | | position, especially against a competitor that has a |
| website. Although the frequency of Helpline calls | | | | superior product. |
| won't diminish immediately, you can aid in reducing | | | | Imagine that your #1 competitor in the Trike |
| the duration of the calls. | | | | business has no Step 13 in their assembly. They |
| At first glance, you might think the above answer | | | | used to, but they received so many complaints |
| to Step 13 illustrates an example of a classic | | | | they engineered it out of the process. To a |
| "packaging" solution. Remember, Package is "your | | | | person not trained in marketing, it might appear |
| face to the customer". The appropriate package | | | | that this is an advantage the competitor will use |
| reinforces your Brand in the customer's mind. But, | | | | to crush you. But you can turn it into a non-event |
| there is more to it than that. | | | | with proper use of the yellow-sheet explanation |
| See you wouldn't have known the problem | | | | sheet. |
| existed at all if you hadn't sought input from | | | | Effectively, you "out-signal" your competitor's |
| Helpline and Shipping staff in your search for a | | | | engineering advantage and negate it. |
| better understanding of how your company value | | | | Can you always do this? Of course not. But, inside |
| chain intersects your customer value chain. | | | | the mind of the customer, we often operate at a |
| In his classic Competitive Advantage Michael | | | | closer parity with our competitors than we think. |
| Porter mentions two types of buyer criteria:use | | | | It's our job as marketers to make sure we do |
| criteria = what your product does for your | | | | everything we can to signal to the customer that |
| customersignaling criteria = how your customer | | | | our product is, in fact, performing for them up to |
| thinks or feels about what the product does for | | | | their expectations, not ours. |
| them | | | | |