Customers primarily request quotes for solutions they’ve already come up with themselves. Sales often doesn’t come into the picture until the budget, schedule, and approach are largely set. Employees have a deep understanding of customers’ problems, but that knowledge is scarcely reflected on the website or in content. Case studies mainly showcase what was delivered, not the decisions that led up to it. In conversations, it regularly becomes clear that customers are surprised by the in-house expertise the organization possesses. They only realize this after the collaboration has already begun.
We’re looking for the knowledge and experience that clients primarily discover during a collaboration. This knowledge and experience often already exists within the organization: among specialists, in conversations with clients, in projects, and in the considerations that lead up to a solution.
We make that knowledge more visible—not only in the organization’s narrative, but also in case studies, content, sales materials, and the way people share their expertise. This gives the sales team a different way to start a conversation than just a product or quote, and it gives customers a reason to involve the organization in addressing their challenges.
You don’t become a strategic partner just by calling yourself one. Even before a specific project, clients need to feel that you add value to the choices they make. If all communication focuses primarily on what an organization provides, it stands to reason that clients will only reach out to it when they need something.
Anyone who wants to get involved earlier in the process must therefore make it clear how they think, what problems they recognize, and what knowledge they can contribute before the solution is finalized. This calls for a different kind of narrative than a simple overview of products, services, and completed projects. The expertise that naturally becomes apparent during a collaboration must be highlighted earlier in the customer journey.
