The Associated Press has painted yet another extremely grim picture of our U.S. economy, as published in its finance-related article of yesterday morning - not quite the way I had hoped to wake up on a Sunday morning! The piece discusses the loss of the dollar's purchasing power. It highlights exports as one of our few mainstays and points out that acquisition-minded, foreign-based investors are knocking at business' doors, with Anheuser-Busch as a current example (by a Belgium-based firm, btw, run by Brazilians...go figure!). It's a lengthy read, but take a look...quite sobering and worrisome indeed. (Link to AP article here.)
Fear not, though, if you are an outsourcer, as this is exactly your chance to shine. Afterall, everyone deserves their special "moment," so to speak, right?
Suppliers must point out the fact that FAO can be a panacea for companies feeling the pains/strains of our sluggish economy. And I mean comprehensive FAO - from the transactional pieces to the more strategic services that truly can impact a company's way of seeing its world.
I know the sales shpiels of nearly every major outsourcer, and the fact is that very few are leveraging our economic woes to demonstrate the business impact of their FAO offerings. Granted, you may mention the drivers and pros of outsourcing, but how truly can your services result in real change for your prospective customer...in their specific industry...of their specific company size...in their specific geography...within their specific operational requirements. Make it more real. And more personal.
Sounds like Sales 101 advice, but trust me - and I get the same feedback from most of the sourcing advisors with whom I interact - most outsourcers are not getting this point together yet with regard to FAO.
Maybe I'll conduct a mini study in 3Q08 to re-visit exactly how suppliers are leveraging our economic woes and demonstrating what it all means. I know that if they do, this entire market will be in a much better position to succeed.
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