Sell Solutions, Not Just Yourself

Minority business growth in the United States over the past thirty years has been outstanding. Minority business owners have overcome racism, legal hurdles, and a host of incredible obstacles to make the advances that have been made up to the current date. MBEs have much to be proud of. Perhaps for these reasons—pride in themselves and pride in their companies—minority entrepreneurs tend to primarily sell themselves (and their companies) to corporate America.







MBEs have all been taught to polish their “thirty-second commercial” or elevator speech and to practice well to sell themselves. While there is some truth to these maxims, I would add that corporations are less interested in minority business entrepreneurs and their companies per se and more interested in how those entrepreneurs and companies can help them solve problems, make more money, or create more shareholder value. Let’s face it. Everyone says their company is the best. Everyone says they are more qualified than the competition. Every entrepreneur—to some degree—believes deeply in himself and can memorize an elevator speech.







But what does any of that matter if the MBE does not sell a solution to its potential client? The MBE may have a very impressive resume, but most clients listen to that favorite old radio station WIFM, namely, what’s in it for me? And that question is completely appropriate. Clients need to know how an MBE intends to make them better. If the MBE cannot do so, then it needs to rethink why it is selling to that client.







Imagine going to a restaurant hungry and being offered nothing to eat. You complain to the manager who then responds by giving you an impressive, well-rehearsed elevator speech. You demand to be fed, and he hands you the finest culinary resume you have ever seen. You may be dazzled by his accomplishments, but you’re still hungry. If the manager kept that up, it would not be long before you left that restaurant, never to return.



Why? Because elevator speeches don’t satisfy needs; solutions do. To be effective, MBEs must research their targets in order to discover and sell solutions to their problems.



Excerpted with permission from "Tales My Grandma Told Me - A Business Diversity Fable" by A. Wayne Gill. Read more about this topic and learn principles for supplier diversity success at:



http://www.talesmygrandmatoldme.com

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