Visualising the Solution
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
Ali Nicholl
7 August 2014
Strategic Brand Consultancy
Visualising the Solution
7th August 2014
Introduction
"" What constitutes an effective
project or service solution?
 How can we articulate meeting
market needs and visualise
potential offerings?
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
Factors
Successful solutions involve three
equally assigned factors.
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
PRODUCTS
 SERVICES
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
Serve a need
For any given customer and product
combo the overlap represents
matching what a customer wants
with what products and services exist.
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
PRODUCTS
 SERVICES
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
Find a price point
The overlap is where some customers
(it will never be all) can afford/see
value in products and/or services.
PRODUCTS
 SERVICES
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
Build a business case
Where budgets meet requirements,
there is investment in, and a business
case for, a given strategy.
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
How it works
So with respect to a specific market...
 Budgets  financial constraints
Customer lacks investments,
capital or does not have a business
case to support findings
 Products  services
Products and services are too
expensive and lack effective ROI
 Customer needs  requirements
These cannot be met with existing
technology or services and/or
do not make “business sense”
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
PRODUCTS
 SERVICES
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
How it works
 Inappropriate
Products are affordable/accessible
but they do not meet all of the
operational requirements
and challenges
 Inaccessible
The products or services match
the requirements but they are
unaffordable/unsustainable
 Unactionable
Products that do not match the
organisational strategy that has
been aligned to the operational
requirements – for example lack
of skilled personnel UNACTIONABLE
INACCESSIBLEINAPPROPRIATE
7th August 2014
Visualising the Solution
The Solution
The solution must be:
 Actionable
By the customer measured
by case of doing business
 Appropriate
Does it meet the needs of a
specific defined customer profile
and market, can it be tailored?
 Accessible
What is its value to the customer?
Because...
THE SOLUTION
Visualising the Solution
7th August 2014
The Kicker
 In B2B, customers do not care
about price.They care about
business cases.
 If it is appropriate to market,
if it is actionable by customer
and if it’s value is assessable and
evident then price is irrelevant.
UNACTIONABLE
INACCESSIBLEINAPPROPRIATE
THE SOLUTION
BUDGETS 
FINANCIAL
CONSTRAINTS
CUSTOMER
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS
PRODUCTS
 SERVICES
Visualising the Solution
7th August 2014
Many thanks for your time
Strategic Brand Consultancy
17-21 Old Street, London EC1V 9HF
020 3058 1100
info@makeitclear.co.uk
Ali Nicholl is the brand strategy
lead at Make it Clear, the strategic
brand consultancy.

Visualise the Solution

  • 1.
    Visualising the Solution 7thAugust 2014 Visualising the Solution Ali Nicholl 7 August 2014 Strategic Brand Consultancy
  • 2.
    Visualising the Solution 7thAugust 2014 Introduction "" What constitutes an effective project or service solution? How can we articulate meeting market needs and visualise potential offerings?
  • 3.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution Factors Successful solutions involve three equally assigned factors. BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS PRODUCTS SERVICES CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS
  • 4.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution Serve a need For any given customer and product combo the overlap represents matching what a customer wants with what products and services exist. BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS PRODUCTS SERVICES CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS
  • 5.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution Find a price point The overlap is where some customers (it will never be all) can afford/see value in products and/or services. PRODUCTS SERVICES CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS
  • 6.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution Build a business case Where budgets meet requirements, there is investment in, and a business case for, a given strategy. BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS
  • 7.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution How it works So with respect to a specific market... Budgets financial constraints Customer lacks investments, capital or does not have a business case to support findings Products services Products and services are too expensive and lack effective ROI Customer needs requirements These cannot be met with existing technology or services and/or do not make “business sense” BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS PRODUCTS SERVICES
  • 8.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution How it works Inappropriate Products are affordable/accessible but they do not meet all of the operational requirements and challenges Inaccessible The products or services match the requirements but they are unaffordable/unsustainable Unactionable Products that do not match the organisational strategy that has been aligned to the operational requirements – for example lack of skilled personnel UNACTIONABLE INACCESSIBLEINAPPROPRIATE
  • 9.
    7th August 2014 Visualisingthe Solution The Solution The solution must be: Actionable By the customer measured by case of doing business Appropriate Does it meet the needs of a specific defined customer profile and market, can it be tailored? Accessible What is its value to the customer? Because... THE SOLUTION
  • 10.
    Visualising the Solution 7thAugust 2014 The Kicker In B2B, customers do not care about price.They care about business cases. If it is appropriate to market, if it is actionable by customer and if it’s value is assessable and evident then price is irrelevant. UNACTIONABLE INACCESSIBLEINAPPROPRIATE THE SOLUTION BUDGETS FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS CUSTOMER NEEDS REQUIREMENTS PRODUCTS SERVICES
  • 11.
    Visualising the Solution 7thAugust 2014 Many thanks for your time Strategic Brand Consultancy 17-21 Old Street, London EC1V 9HF 020 3058 1100 info@makeitclear.co.uk Ali Nicholl is the brand strategy lead at Make it Clear, the strategic brand consultancy.