A Modern Parable

There’s an old Eastern parable which tells the story about a group of blind men encountering an elephant for the very first time.  Through only touch, they feel and sense the animal, each gaining their own perception of the elephant; each sharing their impression and experience with the others. The parable is typically presented as follows:

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it, they each reached out and groped the animal. In the case of the first person, his hand landed on the trunk and he said, “This is like a thick snake". For the man whose hand reached its ear, it felt like a kind of fan For the third blind man whose hand was upon its leg, he said, “the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant claimed, "it is a wall".  Yet another who felt its tail described it as a rope. The last man felt the elephant’s tusk and stated that the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

The bigger a company gets, the more critical it becomes that everyone possess expertise -not only about their role or department but how they can enhance, undermine or impact the company. It is critical that people see themselves as a critical element of the bigger picture so that they are mindful of how their decisions or actions  affect “the elephant as a whole”.

Gaining Perspective

Imagine your Unique Value Proposition (UPV) as the Elephant.  Do your departments see themselves as they impact the big picture? Can you be sure that your Business Development, Engineering and Operations teams are all experts in, not only their role and function, but share awareness, intelligent collaboration and critical communication that make your entire operation move consistently forward? More than being on the same page, this is momentum: Decision-making that supports the movement of business.

When it comes to sharing your value proposition your customers and prospects, is your team communicating it in a way that connects the customer’s success to your own?  When your Team can relate their function to the success of the company as a whole, operations run smoothly, communication improves, and customer wins become connected to your service and your people.

Who interacts with you customers on an ongoing basis?  It is not simply the Business Development that bears the responsibility to communicate the UPV.  Engineering, Operations, Project Management, and Senior Leadership all need to be engaged, on-time and on-message.  One way in which organizations falter in their customer engagements is when all departments and stakeholders do not have a firm grasp or are unable to effectively communicate the UPV. It is difficult to overstate the value of articulating the same clear, strong and concise message to the customer.

ATG employs subject matter experts that can review your Sales and Marketing resources and tools to determine if your message is clear, and make sure each department is defining it and delivering it effectively.  ATG can engage by department or stakeholder to take ensure your customer sees and judges you at your best.  Contact us today to start your journey to Accelerated Tangible Growth.

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