"Business Fit" is a critical term to those of us who sell value to our customers and prospects. The term describes how, working together with the customer, our relationship and joint efforts can help them to:


Achieve high priority business objectives
Implement key business strategies
Address/resolve critical business issues


In order to understand and position the potential business fit with a given customer/prospect, we have to do our research. This research needs to extend beyond "needs assessment" questions and lead us to a strong understanding of their business - their current state, future direction and the issues that stand in the way. Once we gain this knowledge, we can start to figure out how we can leverage our solutions, experience, expertise, people, relationships, etc. to help them drive the success they desire.

The key to making the business fit compelling is: make sure that we are supporting their highest priority objectives, strategies and/or issues.

In any organization, there is a competition for resources like time, people, cash and capital. If we are supporting their efforts to accomplish their seventh highest priority (a "nice to do" item), we may well find ourselves competing with too many other initiatives to gain traction and win. On the other hand, if we can attach our efforts to one of the highest priority initiatives on their plate (a "must do" item), our odds of being successful, and helping them to be successful, go up dramatically.