I was sitting across the table from a business owner. I was
pitching a marketing contract to help sell his products. “Marketing,” he told
me, “is a fast way to give away money with nothing in return.” I countered that
it would be true if you did not have the right marketing plan. If all you were
trying to do with marketing was make people aware of your brand, but never
pushed them over the sales hump by making them an offer they couldn’t refuse, I
could see why you would have his attitude. But, as I pointed out to him,
marketing is much more than a great logo and a pretty website. It is what draws
consumers to your brand, makes them aware of what you produce, entices them to
give it a try and makes customers out of prospects.

What makes marketing successful is the bottom line: it makes money for
businesses. It works hand-in-glove with your sales staff to get consumers to
buy what you are selling. I have written about Awareness Marketing before. It
is the first step in engaging a prospect to get to know your brand. The next
phase of marketing is making an offer to the consumer to buy what we are
selling. What happens in marketing between Awareness and First-time Sales? Your
marketing should answer any reservations a consumer would raise about the
products and services you are trying to sell them. Anticipate the prospects’
questions and objections to your brand. Your marketing should knock down any
concerns that may be raised by consumers. What are the common concerns?

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Quality – will your product or service hold up over
time? That can be countered if you market your warranty with the assurance that
any defective products will be replaced or refunded.

•
Does it live up to its billing? Showing how the
product or service has worked for others goes a long way in getting consumers
past their fears. Testimonials, live demonstrations, endorsements, etc. are
still good marketing techniques used to assure consumers that your products and
services will work for them.

•
Does it cost too much? Don’t let money be the sole
focus of your marketing. Shift the focus to the benefits that bring either
pleasure to the consumer or will relieve their pain. Good marketing compares
the best features of their products and services to the pain points of the
consumer. Market your products and services as a solution to a problem, not
just a price point. People will pay a lot of money to find pleasure and relieve
their discomfort.

•
How does it compare to your competition’s products
and services? You will always be compared to the competition. Your marketing
should emphasize how you are different than your competitors. That could mean
you are at a lower price, but it could also mean you have better quality, can
deliver faster, have a better customer satisfaction rating, etc. Use this to
uplift your own brand over all others.

If you build a marketing strategy that helps answer questions and leads
consumers to a sale, you will find that marketing will work for you. It won’t
be a drag on your bottom line, but your biggest contributor to it.