How I sold $20 million worth of software, with content
by Gordon Graham, Editor, SoftwareCEO
Ten years ago, I was VP marketing for a software firm based in Montreal with a typical problem: How to stand out from the crowd.
We sold bar code software for ERP systems like Oracle Applications and Baan, and resold hardware from Intermec.
On every deal, we were up against two or three competitors.
We were planning to create some print ads, since both Oracle and Intermec then published print magazines. So I sought out copywriting master Ivan Levison from Silicon Valley for help.
Musing about what we else could do, he asked, "How about offering some sort of guide called something like, 'How to Unlock the Power of Your ERP System'?"
This crumb from his table grew into one of the most powerful marketing campaigns I was ever involved in.
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Using his title, I planned a 48-page full-color guide. The story was as simple as a children's book. It featured two men, an executive and an IT guy, walking through their plant and chatting about the many benefits of bar coding. < The booklet cover
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The final booklet was like a composite success story rolled into a special report-cum-white paper, packed with photos, sprinkled with factoids and short enough to read in a few minutes.
And none of our competitors had anything like it.
Our total cost was about $25,000, mainly for printing. What kind of return did we get on that?
Our West Coast sales manager put it best.
"Whenever I go to a meeting and put out copies of our handbook for everyone at the table," he said, "our company shoots right to the top of their vendor list!"
That little booklet helped us sell more than $20 million of software over the next two years.
Of course, we had a solid product, a great team and a ripe market. But still, that little booklet helped us stand out from the competition and cement the sale.
Then the company itself was sold to a much larger competitor who got tired of us eating their lunch.
And much of this success flowed from a casual suggestion that Levison dropped in a phone call.
Fortunately we had enough of a clue to pick up on his suggestion and run with it!
And I learned an incredibly valuable lesson: There is no limit to what you can accomplish, with the right content.
Copyright © Computing Technology Industry Association, Inc. Reprinted with permission.
