Defining a "Solution"

"Solutions" is one of those slippery words that can mean anything and everything. In the context of B2B companies, however, the term has taken on a specific meaning.  A council of leading solutions marketing professionals, sponsored by ITSMA, developed the following definition:

"A solution is a combination of products, services, and intellectual property focused on a specific business problem that drives measurable business value."

While we like and agree with this definition, we believe that it's missing s few important elements, so here is our definition:

"A combination of products, services, and intellectual property focused on a specific business problem or opportunity that drives measurable business value and can be significantly standardized. The solutions components can be from either the vendor and one or more partners, and the solutions implementer can be the vendor, the partner, the customer itself, or a combination of the three."

It's a bit longer, and doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but we nevertheless have found that it clicks with both buyers and sellers given its emphasis on solving specific business problems with measurable business value.  Also, the value is determined by the amount of the solution that is delivered by each of the parties involved in creating the solution. Understood as such, the word "solution" can get beyond the hype and provide important direction to business strategy and operations.

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Solutions Insights is a B2B consulting and training firm that helps companies develop, market, and sell high-value solutions. Our work with technology, professional services, and other clients focuses on four dimensions of solutions success: Strategic Alignment, Offering Distinction,  Sales Acceleration, and Customer Connection.


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  • Steve Hurley was interviewed on the topic of "Solutions Marketing, a Complex Mix for b2b", by BtoBOnline Magazine. Read more..
  • Steve Hurley will teach Solutions Marketing to MBA students at the Hult International Business School (HIBS) in 2013. He will teach the course on the school's Boston, London, Dubai and San Francisco campuses.  The courses will take place from May through early August.   As part of the courses, he will have Guest Speakers from PTC, EMC, BestBuy, Northrop Grumman and Accenture.
  • Matt Leary and Steve Hurley will be presenting a webinar on behalf of ISBM, a B2B industry association, in May on how to ensure that the sales force is prepared for the launch of a new solution. This webinar was previously given in collaboration with ISA, a manufacturing automation association, but will now be available for anyone who missed the ISA event.
  • The Principles and Associates of SI continue to be heavily involved in client activities in March through May, working on engagements such as:
    • Creating a solutions development roadmap
    • Developing a solutions-oriented channel strategy
    • Training a solutions marketing team on the fundamentals of Solutions Marketing
    • Defining a solutions development process
    • Providing execuative  strategic sales support for solutions selling
    • Implementing a solutions selection process, followed by a go-to-market plan
  • Steve Hurley will present at CDC Development Solutions annual conference on cross-border Internatiional Corporate Volunteerism (ICV) April 11-12 in Washington, DC.  Steve and his team at SI develop an annual benchmarking survey on ICV which is the only one of its kind.

 

 

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Join our Solutions Marketing community in LinkedIn.

We have over 650 senior tech marketers in the LinkedIn Solutions Marketing Community. Lots of ideas are shared around how to market solutions. Let us make this a common platform to discuss on the new trends and insights about Solutions Marketing.

Members of this group explore best practices, challenges and other issues that their companies have experienced in marketing solutions.  There are now articles appearing in HBR and other respected business journals that recognize the complexities of being a true solutions player instead of simply using the terminology as a marketing tool. This group will look at the organizational, cultural, operational, marketing and sales implications of trying to build or improve a solutions business within a company.

Click here to join now..