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In a meeting with a local business last week I was surprised to find out that they don’t use the product they are selling. The product is fairly high end (tens of thousands of pounds) and the typical sales cycle will involve educating the customer on the need for the product. As the business actually carries out the much of the same work as their customers do they are likely to have the same need for the product that their customers do.
So why weren’t they using the product themselves? If I was a potential customer one of the first things I’d ask them for is an example of how the product has helped them. I wonder what the poor salesman would say? He’s got two choices really, 1) lie (please don’t) or 2) look embarrassed and admit they don’t use it, but I believe that seriously dents the credibility of the business and puts the salesman in a difficult position. Of course the next question I’d ask as a buyer is "why not?" If the product is good, then surely you’d use it yourself and if it’s not good enough for you then why are you trying to sell it to us!
Personally I believe a business should eat its own dog food. Do you agree? Does your business eat its own dog food?
Photo by booleansplit.
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This blog is about business opportunities and ideas that I spot, think of or hear about and think are useful and interesting. It is intended to provide ideas and inspriation for you to help you find the right business idea for you to then grow it into a successful business.
I would heartily agree with that statement – if it’s not good enough for your business, then it’s not worth selling.
Quite. What does everyone else think?
I fully agree with this statement. However, haven’t you learned by now today’s market isn’t about quality- its about profit.
True, many businesses still behave as though today’s market is about profit, not quality. But if you want to build a sustainable business, you need to recognise that customers are becoming more astute and are starting to expect businesses to deliver on what they promise.
I think you need someone in the company who is an expert with the product so they can empathise with the customer. Of course they have special human tasters for dog food:)
My take on that will be that businesses should eat their own food. Depending on the market it can be very difficult, I won’t invest my money in a stock of a bank that is going down even if I’m an employee. I might actually invest in a competitors business. That’s how the cookie crumble.
Monica,
I think that’s quite different. I wouldn’t expect an normally employee of a bank to invest in its shares. On the other hand I would expect a director of the business to.