Marketing is all about getting the good word out about your products and services. Your brand is promoted so it will be noticed and to get a positive reaction in the marketplace. Saying that your brand is the greatest is an easy thing to do. Can you back up your marketing claims?

The boisterous and confident boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, was quoted as saying, "It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” He should know; he backed up plenty of hype. There is a push and pull between marketing and performance. If you have a great product or service, you need to hype it with your marketing or no one will know anything about it. You need to tell the consumer the best features, advantages and benefits of your brand. If you don’t say it well, you will never achieve your sales potential. On the other hand, if you do say it, your products and services have to back up your marketing. Marketing is more than just saying something is great, you have to prove your hype to your customers by the performance of your products and services.

How do you keep from crossing the line of promising too much, but still saying enough to gain the attention of the customer? The focus of your marketing pitch should be in two areas. First, finding the solution to a problem, inconvenience or pain felt by your customer. If you are trying to convince someone to buy from you, you must sell them on the idea that you have the solution to what ails them. Second, promote the differences between you and your competition. Never try to look the same, but distinguish yourself from them. If you focus on the places where you truly outshine them and promote that to your customers, it will keep you from going too far in your marketing messaging.

A good place to start is by analyzing the best features of what you are selling. Compare that to the consumers’ needs and what else is being produced by other companies to solve their problems. Where your features stand alone or ahead of your competition, focus on these characteristics in your messaging. Next, show the customer what you are promoting. Give them the proof they need to buy from you in confidence. That may be through demonstration or a guarantee of satisfaction. Prove to them your marketing goes beyond the hype.