The Marketing Equation Component 3: EducateNow that the prospect has been successfully interrupted and engaged, your job as marketer is to become the facilitator of information–-the fountain from whence all knowledge flows when it comes to figuring out how to buy what you sell.
You’ve got to give them enough information–-quantified, specific, delineated
information–-that they feel like they understand the important and relevant issues. They need to feel like they’re in CONTROL of the decision. You’ve got to give them enough information to give them the unshakable confidence that they’re making the best decision possible. The more you educate the prospect on what he needs to know and look for and look out for, the more you’re going to sell. The information has to be delivered in a way that’s easy to quickly scan and digest. We simply call this component of the marketing equation Educate…and the information that is given to educate them is called “CONTROL” information, because it puts them in control of the decision.
Build A Case Your product or Service IS ON TRIAL THE CUSTOMER is the Jury YOU are the Attorney You must EDUCATE as to all of the relevant &
important issues Prove that you offer superior value Present evidence of expert testimony to support your case Remember, it’s a life or death sentence!
Marketing Equation Component 4: The Offer
Prospects from all points of the Educational Spectrum will respond to your offer, instantly increasing your ad’s “pull” by 2 to 100 times. And the best part is that you can now control those prospects by proactively nurturing them along via a follow up system…and capture more sales long term.
THE EDUCATIONAL SPECTRUM:
1. Prospect first gets the idea to buy what you sell (or switch vendors).
2. Prospect starts gathering information on an informal basis.
3. Prospect asks friends & associates for recommendations.
4. Heavy-duty fact finding.
5. Prospect narrows choices by process of elimination.
6. Prospect is narrowing in on favorites; decision is coming soon.
7. Prospect makes the decision to buy but not necessarily who to buy from.
8. Prospect is waiting for the timing to be just right.
9. The sales is made and money changes hands!
Most marketing pieces only appeal to NOW buyers. Problem is, those who are ready to buy now only account for 1% to 5% of all prospects. By putting a low-risk offer in your ad that allows the prospect to get more information–-become more educated–-you can capture a much larger portion of prospective buyers.
The Marketing Equation: All Together Now
When all of the components come together, not only is it a thing of beauty, but you also make a lot more money! Remember, human nature demands that people always want to make the best decision possible. Marketing’s job is to facilitate that decision making process. As long as you have each of the 4 components of the marketing equation in place, your ads will work every time.
Here are some of the other aspects of the Adult B2B Marketing system that we will cover in later issues:
Implementing The Marketing Equation: Going through the “discovery” process to identify customer hot buttons and create your unique case.
Innovation: Find out how to “build a better mousetrap” and stay ahead of the pack through competitive leadership.
Presenting Your Case: The most important part of Strategic Marketing is “How you say it.” Learn how to articulate your message in a powerful, instantly impactful way.
Creating Advertising: Learn how to create ads that work from a headline, layout, and content standpoint. Also, learn how to deal with ad salespeople.
Lead Generators: Learn how to generate 2 to 100 times more leads than you do now…and actually improve the quality of those leads.
Testing Concepts: Never make a major marketing mistake again by testing everything you do first. Let the marketplace tell you what it will respond to instead of trying to be a “guessing genius.”
Marketing Tools: Use websites, reports, audios,videos, sales scripts, signage, and other marketing tools to educate prospects and build your case.
Hopper Systems: Nurture your prospects along the Educational Spectrum until they become ready to buy. Do this by sending powerful, well-articulated mailers and emails.
Knock-Down Lists: Create a list of prospects that you’d really like to get as customers, and go to work on them with a combination of marketing and relationship selling.
Perpetual Selling Strategies: Learn how to get customers to come back over and over again to give you a steady, reliable stream of sales…and increased profits.
Joint Ventures: Find out how to leverage other companies’ customer lists to your advantage, and how you can profit from making your customers available to them.
Upselling Strategies: Learn how to maximize each transaction with your customers by selling them more of your products or services each time they buy from you.
Referral Systems: Get your customers to give you referrals and feel good about doing so by setting up a win-win situation.
In the coming weeks we will explore all of these issues and more. The Adult B2B Marketing system will make your marketing work better then ever before and allow you to maximize your marketing dollars. I hope you enjoy our marketing newsletter series as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.
