Balanced scorecard. Kaizen. JIT. The Peter principle.

Making practical sense of business management buzzwords feels like it would require donning your Six Sigma Green Belt. But how much of it is worth your time?

New buzzwords inevitably find their way into executive lexicons. Some are useful. Some are fads. But one concept currently in vogue – thought leadership – might stick as a long-term way to grow revenues and enhance enterprise value.

Manufacturers, specs, and technologies can only carry you so far. At some point the path to closing tomorrow’s new customers becomes more about your expertise than the technology.

Dealers can add value in the supply chain by bringing manufacturers to market. But the real value comes from assembling customized solutions that meet unique client needs at the local level.

In other words, you add intellectual capital. It’s the secret sauce of your success in the market. But too often, the value you add isn’t clearly communicated to customers and prospects.

Exposing customers to the value of your expertise is best achieved with a consultative sales process. But what about when customers are early in the decision-making process, before engaging with the sales or leadership team? How can they get inspired to act and trust your firm before the first sales call?

That’s where thought leadership comes in. Or not, depending on how well you communicate it. Here are some examples:

• Your team has great ideas and a history of innovative solutions. Are you sharing those assets with potential customers from the earliest stages of the buying process?
• As the leader of the company, you have important stories that can help customers make better decisions today. How is that value-added information being communicated?
• You have strong opinions on the direction of the industry and the challenges your customers are facing. Do your customers know?
• You have customers who return year after year. Are their testimonials online?

Thought leadership like this just might be the secret to differentiation, revenue growth, and maximizing the value of your firm. All it takes is a little discipline, commitment, and basic writing skills to leverage your intellectual capital with customers, building trust and establishing yourself as the go-to solution provider in your market.

While our core solutions are financial capital, we’re much like you. At LEAF, our intellectual capital is key to driving value for our partners and customers.

Can we put that intellectual capital to work for you? The value of a relationship with LEAF reaches far beyond offering customers a simple payment option.