Come On and Take a Free Ride

by Paula Santonocito

Two articles published last week in separate publications suggest communicating value, as mentioned in an earlier TMT Talk blog post, may be the key to sales in the current environment.

Indeed, the article "Value Is the New Green" by E. Kinney Zalesne, available online at The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), points out that even green is "taking a back seat to a new core value -- value."

But how do you convey value?

Obviously, it depends on your business and its goods or services.

One company, Harley-Davidson, recognizes that its products tend to be viewed as luxury items, particularly in a recession. In order to get more people to ride its motorcycles, the company is offering a promotion. IndustryWeek reports that Harley-Davidson is allowing buyers to purchase a new Sportster motorcycle and trade it in a year later for its original value.

Free trials and money-back guarantees are nothing new. Yet, surprisingly, they haven't become common in an environment that clearly calls for tangible proof of value.

Sellers of talent management technology, have you thought about offering a free ride?

And, oh yeah, about this blog post's title: Can you name that tune?