Talking with a general contractor recently I witnessed the power of package selling through content design. The contractor flipped open the pages of a Martha Stewart Living™ catalog she picked up at Home Depot titled Cabinets, Countertops and Hardware. She immediately saw what she wanted for a house renovation project. It was a Seal Harbor PureStyle™/Sharkey Gray cabinet, a polished nickel handle, and a Sea Salt Corian countertop.
All three products were displayed together under “Martha’s Selection” in a 7” x 2” space on page 3 opposite the catalog table of contents. In the building business for 26 years, the contractor had never seen a coordinated package of products like this before. She didn’t need to look through the 74 pages that followed. She didn’t need to color coordinate samples, select from varying sizes and shapes of door handles. She avoided the maze of countertop materials and colors. There they were on page 3, endorsed and scrutinized by the design maven herself – Martha Stewart.
This kind of content requires integration and imagination. I see it in a truck dealership where a truck, maintenance and finance programs may be sold together. The package is explained through content that people can readily understand. I see it with software companies like Podio that create scenarios using content to depict how work processes are streamlined for users. Managers can go to the website and choose a packaged selection of apps designed for their work flow.
In each instance, a content developer connected the dots for the buyer and communicated that in a usable way. People respond to good value from a company that takes the guesswork out of the purchase. The buyer can enjoy the practical application of whatever it is they are looking for. Packages built by content creators are finished puzzles that allow the buyer to see the big picture. Customers save time and products are offered in a way not thought of before. Who in your company can put the pieces together?
