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Source of My Insight on How to Increases My Marketing Effectiveness
This significant change is so subtle yet simple. I was always taught that marketing is about making yourself known in the marketplace. To quote them, “The essence of selling is converting your prospective customer into an actual customer. And the essence of marketing is — preparing your prospective customer to buy.” (p. 25)
While things like sale flyers and discount coupons obviously have that goal in mind from the beginning, many of our marketing activities lack that clear intention. A common example is blogging. Most people making the effort to keep up a blog do so with the desire for people to get to know, like, and trust them because prospects want to buy from people they feel some relationship with. As far as it goes, this is a good part of traditional marketing. After all, people must know that you exist in order to buy from you.
The difference, though, in what these soft sell marketing experts, Judith & Jim, point out is that you need a plan to lead people along a path with you where the goal is that they will eventually buy from you. It’s not an immediate event.
Decades before I realized I was a soft sell salesperson and a soft sell marketer, I heard the rule of thumb that it takes seven impressions for a customer to buy. Although Judith & Jim use three to nine impressions, the point remains that normally, people have to get comfortable with an idea before they get ready to seriously consider it — which they only do when they have a need for your product or service. The key to making that many impressions is having a solid relationship where they want to read or hear more from you.
Repeated connections are vital to success in soft sell sales and marketing. I keep returning to the ideal customer profile because I feel understanding who your ideal prospects are, and what problems and desires they have that you might help solve, is the basis for writing and speaking so that they can relate to you and want to buy.
To recap, the insight that increases your marketing effectiveness is to start with the intention of preparing your prospects to buy. Because they see, hear and feel that you understand them, they will want a relationship with you. Then, when they are ready and have a need, you open the long term relationship. Because you help customers buy what they really want and need instead of what you want, you will find your sales give you vastly more than just a commission. Soft sell sales are fun, fulfilling, and mutually rewarding.
If you too want to experience the thrill of knowing you are not alone in your desire for the connections as well as the profits, then order and enjoy your copy of The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back.
How to Ask a Closing Question
Gratitude Sets the Right Attitude
Heart Centered Selling’s not for Wimps
Have You Heard the MLM Lies?
Sales Motivation – Remember, There’s more to Life than Money
Trusting a Salesperson Is Tough; Liking Is Easy
If No One Cares, It’s Not a Unique Selling Proposition
If Sales Calls to You Are Win-Lose Battles, Read No Further
