I am often asked what is the one marketing tactic that will get someone to buy from you, like there is a magical potion that we cook up in the back room of our offices and feed to prospects to make a conversion. There typically is not one thing that we do in marketing to make a customer bite for the first time. There are a series of marketing actions that all lead up to the moment that they first buy from you. The last drop that took the flood over the dam is all a part of a grand marketing scheme that gets you to that point.

Before we do anything related to marketing tactics, we have to understand the customer and the industry. All customers have likes and dislikes. They all have ways they prefer to be approached and a certain amount of information they need before they are ready to part with their money. For instance, a younger demographic may like to read up on an item on the internet and get references from other users before making a purchase. An older demographic may want to go to a showroom and look an item over before making a purchase. Likewise, certain industries have aspects that are unique to them. Some industries have a selling season and others have inventories that turn over annually. For instance, the automotive industry typically has big sales when new year models come available every fall. Before we do any planning, we have to understand both the target audience and the industry.

What do you do with this information? We like to divide marketing into three phases. The first phase is Awareness Marketing. Most advertising is awareness marketing. Going back to my automotive industry example, I might see a television commercial for the Ford Fusion. I may not get a lot out of the commercial except that I relate that the Ford Motor Company has a brand of automobile called the Fusion and I remember it. When it comes time for me to buy a car, I will remember the brand. What else will I remember about the Fusion? I may remember that it is a high mpg auto and is one of the world’s best selling cars. I can categorize that in my mind. If I am in the market for an economical drive that lots of other people are buying, I will give the Ford Fusion a look. That is awareness marketing at work. It opens the door for the next step to take place, which is First Time Sales Marketing.

First time sales marketing takes place where the customer makes a decision for or against making the transaction. In our car example, that would take place in a dealership. What methods of marketing are we talking about here? For one, a test drive is a classic marketing tool used to get prospective customers to make a decision to purchase a car. It is where the customer stops reading and hearing about the product and experiences it for the first time. You may not be running a car dealership, but there are plenty of ways to get a prospect to try out your products and services for the first time. Until they can touch it, sit in it, and drive it, it is not real to them.

The third phase of marketing is Retention Marketing. How do you get the first time buyer to come back again and again? Some businesses, like car dealerships, have service plans. Get the oil changed or the wheels rotated. Others have referral programs. A referral is not just to get the family and friends of your customer into your business, it is also to gauge the satisfaction of your customer. It is meant to make sure that you have done a superb job with customer service. Did the customer perceive they received quality for the price they spent? Did you deliver on time? If there were any problems, did you resolve them to the customer’s satisfaction? If they are truly satisfied, they will become a marketing pitchman for you. My father always told me, "Nothing sells like a satisfied customer.”