The landscape of business has changed over the last 5 to 20 years. Just being aggressive doesn’t cut it anymore. Sales skills alone aren’t enough. You’ve got to distinguish your business from the competition and lead prospects to say, “I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you...regardless of price.” Most of the advice you read and hear from the so-called marketing experts is wrong. The old strategies don’t work. In order to grow in today’s marketplace you need to understand the new marketing paradigm. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling retail, wholesale, business-to-business, or whatever. Increased competition and information created this new paradigm, which causes confusion in the marketplace. Consumers and businesses distrust most of what you say in your sales and marketing efforts. And it’s not that they don’t trust you, either. It’s just that they don’t give any credence to what you say. Advantage: Innovators & Marketers… This situation leaves a huge advantage for companies who know how to build a better business… and who know how to integrate the right kind of marketing throughout their sales system. Peter Drucker said, “Business has just two functions, and only two, marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation make money; everything else is a cost.” If You Want To Distinguish Your Business From The Competition, Build A Case Like An Attorney Does… Your business is on trial. Your customers and prospects are the jury. You’re the attorney and it’s a life or death sentence. What will you say that will convince them to buy from you? What kind of evidence can you produce to PROVE beyond any reasonable doubt that they’d be a fool not to buy from you? You can gain control over the competition with a well-developed case. Without this “case,” your product or service becomes a commodity, and purchasing decisions begin to be made primarily on price. Your case will need to be supported by endorsements, testimonials, product samples, articles, and books, anything that will backup your claims. If the ‘evidence’ isn’t available, then you will have to develop it. Use surveys of current and past clients, prospects who didn’t buy and those that are stuck in your sales process to determine what is important to them when doing business with companies like yours. Take a look at your marketing materials. Do they say anything that would make anyone want to buy from you? This may sound harsh, but the marketplace is littered with bankrupt companies who wouldn’t ask the hard questions to determine if improvements have to be made in their way of doing business or marketing. Your marketing and advertising probably contain words like highest quality, most professional, lowest price, largest selection, the list of advertising ‘fluff’ could go on and on. Claude C. Hopkins pointed out 80 years ago that “Generalities and platitudes roll off the human mind like water off of a ducks back, making no impression what so ever”. Without some way to support your detailed specific claims, in other words a ‘case’, most businesses and consumers won’t believe a single word you are saying. Great Communication Is Essential… The great business philosopher Jim Rohn said it best in his lecture about communications. He was talking about personal communications, not about advertising or marketing, but the principle holds true. He says to be a master communicator, all you’ve got to do is follow this simple three-step process: First, have something good to say. Second, say it well. And third, say it often. In terms of advertising, here’s what that means: Having something good to say means that you’ve innovated your business sufficiently so that you’ve got something unique that’s worth advertising. Saying it well has to do with taking what you do well and saying it in your advertising in such a way that it gets people to notice and take action. To say it often you need to follow-up all inquires to your business with compelling pieces that make the case for your company. A potential client may not buy today, but in the future may be ready to use your service or product. Good follow-up is essential to growing your business. Systematically Eliminate Any Competitors… Once you’ve created your case, you need to consistently and cost-effectively “deluge” your target market with your messages. This is not just simple repetition in advertising. You’ve got to cultivate the entire market so that when they’re ready to buy, you are the obvious choice in their mind. An automated follow-up system can help you (or an individual sales person) work 5 times more leads, spend more of your time closing business, and always have as many leads as you want or need. You are able to work more leads by sending your prospects, through email, fax, direct mail, video, audio, or other method they will respond to, well articulated marketing pieces that continue to build and support your ‘case’. Somebody’s Going To Monopolize Your Marketplace… Will It Be You? Are you ready to implement a marketing system that combines a well thought out and researched case for your company, with well articulated compelling marketing and advertising pieces that your prospects will notice and respond to? Include a follow-up ‘hopper’ system with more marketing that supports your case and leads your prospects to this conclusion: “I would have to be a fool to do business with anyone else but you”. If you don’t, one of your competitors will. Click Here for FREE Consultation ©2008 Grafix Oncall Inc. • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED