So an engineer walked into a bar...

What happens when an engineering approach is applied to business communications? An engineering approach might call for deconstructing complex ideas into symbols, then reassembling the elements. Incongruously, technologists often take the same approach when explaining what they do for customers. Have you ever received a chart jammed with squares, circles, globes, arrows, all kinds of shapes connected by lines and arrows? If so, an engineer was attempting to reduce what he does to its essence in the hope that you—ostensibly the receiving engineer—would reconstitute the message from the symbols. Here is a recent example of what we encountered and how we used a simple visual story instead.


Before there was a flow chart there was a story. Click the above graphic to download the one-pager that shows how we helped one engineering team get back to their story.

Getting across the time relationships or relative importance between events assumes that your audience understands your symbolic language. But symbols, like letters of some strange new alphabet, have no intrinsic meaning.

Before a technologist could construct the boxes, circles, arrows and lines, he had to assemble a narrative about how, when and why things happened. In short, he created a story first. So, listen for the story.

Regardless of the technical training of the listener, we all understand and enjoy stories. No need to jump into abstract symbols. Show interaction among characters. Include objects that have intrinsic meaning for your audience. Show benefits being delivered, albeit metaphorically. Organize your story in time or space, and you can show people what you do.

Click TellingYourStory.com to learn more.

Grab Their Attention Visually

Get more click-through from your e-mail campaigns with visuals, especially illustrations. BentonsEdge helped promote an event for a software consulting company, Brown Smith Wallace Consulting.

Our custom illustrations, e-mails, and web-based lead-generation programs encouraged CIO’s and IT directors to sign up for BSW’s online software trade fair, the “Virtual Trade Fair.” Visitors can browse vendors online, talk to experts, and learn about new software and the change it brings in their companies. In fact, you can drop by the virtual event for free, TODAY, at http://www.virtualtechfair.com/.

BentonsEdge interviewed CIO’s to uncover their pain points, especially the pain implementing change within their own companies. Download the latest case-study to learn more.


BentonsEdge illustrated the pain of change, and built a visual lead-generation program around it. Download the 'change roadmap'.pdf.

Customers know that all high-end software and services require change to occur. You can tap into that fact to promote your programs. Get the 'change roadmap' and lead-generation case-study. And call me for more information at (314) 772-1185.

Craft Your Value Proposition This Friday!

Come work with me for free this Friday, April 27, 2007, at Washington University. I will be working with managers and innovators like you during the Innovators and Entrepreneurs Workshop from 2:30 to 3:45 at the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. For more information, see the Washington University Skandalaris Center web site. I am looking forward to seeing you there!

Please sign up to get the next issue of the BentonsEdge Reporter and receive your free visual story.

Originally published April 26, 2007, as an e-mail sent from the BentonsEdge web site. Written by Dan Davison.

What can you do to get noticed when no one reads anymore?

You try to make your content meaningful, sure. But who among your prospects has the time to read anymore? How many marketing messages do you receive, and how many do you read? Have you considered communicating visually?

Associate your name with value when you communicate on issues. Stand out, when you communicate visually. Build credibility by communicating regularly.

Click on the graphic for a sample illustration.

Click on the graphic above for a sample illustration. And call us for more information, tel. (314) 772-1185.

Visual communication every month, turn-key service

BentonsEdge marketing and is now offering custom, visual content that welcomes click-though, and monthly outsourced management to get the job done. It’s a turn-key email service that includes great content and turn-key management of direct email campaigns:

• We create engaging illustrations rather than wordy, written content that no one reads.
• We create and send a custom e-mail each month to build credibility with your prospects.
• We can manage the landing page on your site and monitor metrics, providing a comprehensive out-sourced service for you.

Originally published September 26, 2006, as an e-mail sent from the BentonsEdge web site. Written by Dan Davison.

Filling your pipeline is more than luck

Dear Customer,

What does it cost to call one prospect? How many times must you call that prospect until the timing is right and he has a need for your product or service? Assuming that you get lucky and call him when he has a need, why should he listen to you? Wouldn’t it be great if prospects called you when they were ready to consider buying?

Lead-generation marketing efficiently touches your prospects, creating awareness, establishing credibility and you or your company as a thought-leader. Make your own luck.


Click on the graphic to learn about lead-generation marketing.

If you sell customized products & services, today your sales may be limited to your capacity to call and check in with prospects, and on lucky timing. Content, a regular process and automation can help you grow your sales pipeline. Click on the graphic to learn more about lead-generation marketing.

Thought-leadership on tough business issues

In the next few releases of the BentonsEdge Reporter, we will explore how to complement your sales efforts by keeping in touch with prospects with valuable, relevant information. Learn how to grow sales without adding sales staff. Learn how a content and communications service can keep your company top-of-mind with buyers and increase the speed and number of deals.

Information will be packaged succinctly and visually, to deliver the kernel of what we have learned and what you need to know. Please sign up to get the next issue of the BentonsEdge Reporter and receive your free visual story.

Originally published July 18, 2006, as an e-mail sent from the BentonsEdge web site. Written by Dan Davison.

Clueless About Capital?

So you are going to ask family, friends and interested investors to invest in your company. What will they want to know? How should you prepare? What should you tell them? How will you gain their trust? How long will all this take?

You are competing for funds with teams that know the ropes. In the coming issue of the BentonsEdge Reporter, we will explore how to get ready for investment. Clueless about capital? Click to sign up for the BentonsEdge Reporter and receive a one-page visual story on raising capital. It shows what you need—in the order that you need it—according to early-stage CEO’s, investors, operating executives, attorneys and financial consultants interviewed by BentonsEdge. If you are an investor, use the one-pager as a resource with your prospects.

Click to sign up for the BentonsEdge Reporter

In future issues of the BentonsEdge Reporter we will explore other concepts related to product launch and growth:

• How to get buy-in: Getting people and teams to work toward your goals
• Lead-generation: How to get people to call you already interested in what you are selling. Use the right mix of marketing process and sales talent.
• Value Proposition: How to test your ideas in the marketplace efficiently, and develop your most promising market-entry strategy.
• Selling a new product or service in a conservative industry. To some people your value is crystal clear. But not enough people are buying your product. How do you break in to the market?

Thought-leadership on tough business issues

One client said it best, “you guys specialize in tough cases.” In the months that follow we will share with you--our friends and partners, our current and future clients--what we have learned working through tough business issues related to start-up, market validation, buy-in, product launch and business growth.

Information will be packaged succinctly and visually when possible, to deliver the kernel of what we learned and what you need to know.

Please sign up to get the next issue of the BentonsEdge Reporter and receive your free visual story.

Originally published May 9, 2006, as an e-mail sent from the BentonsEdge web site. Written by Dan Davison.