The trouble with conventional ad campaigns and sales techniques is that they aren't very good at getting the prospective client to talk to you in the first place. When they finally do, then you've only got a few minutes to overcome that person's natural skepticism. Then you need to build their trust. Then you have to create a sense of urgency and close the sale. And if you've done everything right, you were able to create a trust relationship that will result in your new customer doing business with you again.
Can you imagine how your business would grow if all of your employees or the people in your organization had these skills? Can you imagine the repeat business? Can you imagine the referrals?
But very few people are really good at selling products or services. The 'Can I help you?' question most sales people ask in stores is mainly meant to help you locate something. So now, we've got the problem of getting people in the door and the problem of people not having a reason to return. There has got to be an easier way to solve this problem.
That is what marketing properly and training your business associates to market properly can do for you.
To get to that point, we need to review three basic concepts. The first one is
Marketing your business has nothing to do with your product or service.
Now, you are probably saying, 'How in the world can that be?'
Remember back to our conversation about how people buy with their emotions instead of their heads? We are not selling products or services. We are selling emotions. Therefore, our marketing program needs to be based on that. Most are. Look at the TV commercials and magazine ads closely. Behind every good one, you will find the emotion that they are trying to invoke in you.
Most businesses stop at that point, but that doesn't address the bigger challenge. Successful companies need repeat customers and referrals. Good managers know that the best way to do that is to provide outstanding service to their customers. They attempt to hire and train people who would be best at showcasing those traits. This is one of the differences between a decent manager and a great manager.
Let me illustrate my point by giving you some examples:
You go into a restaurant and the waiter takes the time to explain about a dish you are not familiar with, what ingredients are in it, how it is cooked, and served. Contrast this to the restaurant that you go in and are handed a menu. The waitress comes and professionally takes your order and delivers it. Which restaurant would you remember best?
You go to a local hardware store and ask how to solve the problem. The associate takes the time to explain what you need, how to install it, and what to avoid to prevent a mistake. Contrast this to the home superstore where the associate walks you over to the right section of the store and shows you the part you need to fix your problem. Which store would you remember best?
You go to a local meat market and the butcher takes the time to explain the different cuts of meat and how to cook the less expensive cuts to save money. Contrast this to the mega-store where all of the meats are lined up in a row in nice plastic packages and the butchers are back behind big glass windows. Which store would you remember best?
If you are like most people, you would probably choose the first option in each scenario. Have you figured out why? This brings me to my second concept:
TEACHING SELLS
It is no more complicated than that.