Selling More Isn’t Always About Selling

Here’s a classic 5-minute video of the late great Harvard Business School Professor, Clayton Christensen, explaining how the jobs-to-de-done (JTBD) innovation approach can help any business sell more. The breakthrough jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) approach he is describing has nothing to do with “selling.”

3 Takeaways:

First, being “customer-focused” is not enough. Companies are wasting a lot of time gathering demographic information, likes/dislikes, personality types, interests, etc. – information that does not provide the focus needed to innovate. People don’t buy your product/service because of their demographics; they buy to get their jobs done (functional, emotional, and social) in a particular circumstance.

• CFOs hire accountants to get their financial and accounting-related jobs done.
• Large company C-level executives hire private jets to avoid the hassles of commercial air travel, maintain confidentiality, and stay productive.
• Adults working full-time hire online degrees to advance their careers.
• People hire off-road recreational vehicles to have fun with friends and family outdoors.
• Medical practitioners hire stethoscopes to listen to their patients’ heart and lungs.

What jobs are your customers trying to get done with your offerings? Find out and nail them.

Second, because people hire products/services to get their jobs done, the best way to define your market is not according to what you sell but according to what job you help customers get done. In truth, your product/service competes with anything customers use to get the same job(s) done. Public accounting firms don’t only compete with other accounting firms; they compete with tax attorneys, software companies, and internal accountants as well. Who are your chief competitors outside of your category?

Third, firms that understand the jobs their customers are trying to get done, how they measure success, and where they struggle given their current product/service solutions, are able to nail their customers’ needs, create unique value, and drive growth in a repeatable manner. Master these basics and you can, too.

Reveal needs. Create value. Drive growth.

We use a proven process that consistently delivers results. Learn more in this white paper or schedule a call with me to explore how we can help.

A version of this article was published in The Business Journals: Selling more isn’t always about selling. You need to understand what customers want to get done.