They Ask You Answer

23The Competition

Now that we’ve discussed the power of the Big 5 in detail, the question, of course, is whether or not your company is willing to address this new way of thinking.

Sadly, despite the overwhelming evidence that has been shown herein, most people and organizations who read this book will not take such a transparent, consumer-centric approach to their sales and marketing efforts.

But the question is, Why?

Why won’t more organizations follow this incredibly simple model of They Ask, You Answer when it’s so very obvious buyers and consumers expect to have this information?

As I’ve consulted with businesses and brands around the world during the past five years, I’ve discovered there are three fundamental factors that dictate whether or not businesses are willing to be world-class listeners and teachers versus taking the opposite approach—a more traditional, closed-minded company-centric model—to growing their businesses.

I call these three factors “The Triangle of Influence”:

1. The competition
2. The bad fits
3. The customer

Imagine an upside-down triangle that has three distinct sections, as shown in Figure 23.1. Each section represents a group that affects whether or not a company is willing to address a particular subject in their sales and marketing process—especially their online one. The top section is the biggest and most influential factor influencing a company’s reluctance to address the major areas of questions, problems, and needs of prospective customers. ...