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Differentiation in a commoditized market: How CenturyLink found it Brenda Van der Steen Content Strategy Group Manager Business Markets Group September 21, 2011

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Commoditized Differentiation … really?

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Which one are we?

Which one are you?

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Even harder with….

1,200 Sales Professionals

110 Products/Solutions

5 Verticals 3

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The Math

1,200X110X5=660,000

Potential Messages

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The Result

YOUR BUSINESS LIVES ON YOUR NETWORK, MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR INVESTMENT

Cost Management Changes in Demand Continuity

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Deployment

• Executive buy-in

• Tools

• Training

• Alignment

• Focus on our customer

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What we are hearing… the impact

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• “We need one of these for all the major industries, healthcare, finance, etc.”

• “This would really start the discussion.”

• “I was thinking the whole time, ok prove it.  Then you did on the last slide.”

• Comes from a point of view, “We understand your problems, here is how we’d help.”

• I never thought I would say thank you to marketing

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What’s next

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Pull-through

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http://www.centurylink.com/business/resource-center/videos-and-demos/list.html#3022

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LEARNINGS:

• Rationalize feedback

• Better cross-section of sales participation

• Importance of executive buy-in

• Keep it alive

• Deeper dive...

• Finding our “Why”

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Why?

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YOUR BUSINESS LIVES ON YOUR NETWORK, MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR INVESTMENT

Cost Management Changes in Demand Continuity