Marketing Made Simple!
by Bob Stalbaum
If I had to draw any conclusions as to why so many businesses seem to languish without achieving real and sustained success, I’d attribute it to the following three fundamental flaws:
1. Far too many businesses don’t have a meaningful and compelling value proposition.
2. Even when they do, they don’t know how to effectively communicate what it is.
3. They don’t truly understand marketing, and the benefits it provides.
Let me explain.
Look at your current company brochure, your latest ad or the most recent sales letter you’ve sent out. Is it immediately obvious what makes you better? Would a prospect clearly see why they should choose to do business with your organization over your competitors?
Define what makes you special
If you don’t have a real, quantifiable and exciting reason why prospects should buy from you, your business is in trouble and chances are excellent you probably find yourself competing a lot on price!
The only way to get out of this predicament, and ensure long-term success, is to learn how to provide people with a real reason to buy from you. You’ve got to distinguish yourself from your competitors.
Learn how to say it effectively
Next, you’ve got to be able to articulate what your value proposition is. Even when a business owner has a unique selling proposition, they frequently don’t know how to effectively communicate what makes them "good." When prospects for your business can’t distinguish your business from your competitors because of your inability to state what makes you better in a compelling and embraceable way, you’ve got a problem!
I am sorry to say that just talking about how long you’ve been in business, how great your service is, or the high quality of your products won’t drive business to you anymore. Most often, prospects simply dismiss those pronouncements merely as platitudes and hype.
Market using a systematized approach
Finally, when you have something to say, and you decide to make the commitment to "tell your story," you’ve got to do it the right way. You can’t just cram everything you want your prospects to know about your organization into one all-encompassing advertisement or marketing piece and send it out one time.
Instead, you’ve got to create a systematized series of well-articulated marketing messages that will generate interest with your top prospects, address their areas of concern, build trust with them over time, and position your products and services as the obvious best choice.
"Why is all of this necessary?" you ask. Well, there are two very good reasons.
Understanding the buying process
First, you must realize that there are many different stages of "the buying process" and that there is a whole procedure people go through from the time they start thinking of buying your product or service, and the time they actually do. Prospects begin by realizing they may have an interest in the products and services you sell. They start gathering information. Then, they begin asking for recommendations from friends and peers. Next, they begin to narrow their choices…and so it goes.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine what stage of the process your prospects are in. Consequently, you must market to them with frequency and consistency, so that whenever they are ready to actually buy, yours is the company of which they think of.
Second, consumers and business owners alike are now bombarded with hundreds of different advertising messages a day. Of those, they probably take note of just a small handful, and choose to act on fewer still. One reason for this is that people don’t really notice most ads on a conscious level.
Focus on "hot buttons"
To get prospects to notice your marketing, my best advice is to focus your marketing efforts on their problems, needs, wants, concerns, frustrations and annoyances. I call these their "hot buttons." The best way to do this is with big, bold provocative headlines. (In a radio or TV ad, this is accomplished through the first sentence spoken.) Use headlines to sell the hurt; make prospects feel their pain; and move them into a state of consciousness.
Build your case
Once you have accomplished this, use the rest of your ad to position your product or service as the solution to their problems. This is best achieved by educating prospects and providing them with the relevant information they need to make an informed buying decision. The more compelling and convincing your case, the more successful you will be.
Don’t be afraid to guide prospects and share valuable information with them. The more you do, the more valuable you make yourself. In sharing what you know, you also have the opportunity to prove your expertise and gain their trust and confidence. When you’ve accomplished this, you take a giant step forward in the sales process.
Provide prospects with evidence that you can solve their problem by incorporating testimonials, public acknowledgements, awards, case studies and facts and figures into your campaign.
Consistency is key
Most important of all, you must understand that good marketing requires a sustained commitment. Consistency is key to your success. Think in terms of a campaign, not just one letter. Make up your mind to communicate with your top prospect at least every two weeks. Make sure that each communication builds upon the learning experience of the last, and that each contact is designed to move your prospect one step closer toward their purchase.
So there you have it: marketing made simple! Utilize this approach and I guarantee you’ll have all the business you want!
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