Bill Bishop’s BIG Ideas

2018-03-25

The Importance of PackagingWhen you determine your BIG Idea, you need to package it properly so people will be able to quickly appreciate the value of it.  In many cases, the value you provide is intangible, so it is even more important to package it so that people can see it. Packaging has three elements: 1. Story 2. Graphic Design 3. Process Experience.  1. Story: Most of the selling you do is verbal.  You sell by telling a story.  To increase your sales, you need to tell a packaged story that gets attention, generates interest, and sets up a buying opportunity.  To get attention, you have about three seconds.  You then have 30 seconds to get someone interested.  Then you have three minutes to explain in detail what you are selling.  If they are still with you at that point, they will give you thirty minutes to make a proper presentation.  You then have to close them. This story usually includes an Object to attract attention (3 seconds), an Elevator Speech (30 seconds), a Script (3 minutes) and a BIG Story (30 minutes).  The story can also have a theme (such as Lobsters), and a signature story (such as The Lobster Contest).  The theme and signature story will make you more memorable, and help you better explain the premise behind your BIG Idea.2. Graphic Design: It is very important for you to invest in professional graphic design.  People will judge you by the quality of your design package. Does it look amateurish or professional?  Is it beautiful?  We have learned that people will trust you and your BIG Idea more if if is packaged beautifully.  So don't try to save money on do-it-yourself design.  Note that graphic design extends to other tangible elements such as clothing, store/office design, and product packaging.3. Process Experience: This is a neglected element of packaging.  Most entrepreneurs provide their customers/clients with generally the same experience as their competitors.  They use the standard approach practiced by 99% of the other companies in their industry.  They call this best practices, but we call it boring and generic.  To stand out, you need to take your customers through a process that is unique, and also works better than the standard approach in your industry.  If you do this, your customers will have a more valuable and interesting experience. As a result, they will value it more, and likely talk about it with their friends and associates. In most cases, you only need to add or change your standard process by 10% to make it a unique experience.  By enhancing these three elements of packaging (Story, Graphic Design, and Process Experience), it will make it a lot easier for you to meet more great prospects and sell more.In upcoming Lobster Lessons, we will explore in much greater detail how you can use packaging.