Getting an MBA will open a lot of doors but here are 6 things you DON’T learn from an MBA.
- People want to be led.
But they want to be led by someone they trust.
Trust = Competence plus Character.
In everything you do and say, show that you know what you are doing and talking about and that you place Integrity and your reputation above money. They want someone to educate them on the features of what you are offering but more importantly, how it will benefit them. Always remember WIIFM – Every time you make a presentation, the client is silently asking…What’s In It For Me?
2. Tell people what action to take.
Every selling transaction, whether it’s a direct personal contact, a sales call, letter, email, text, video/vlog, commercial, or print ad, you need to lead them into taking an action.
It might be simply leading them to take the next step – “Pick Up The Phone and Call me Now at ……..”
Marketing is nothing more than selling and selling is all about persuading someone to take an action that will benefit them.
3. Test Everything and Test Small.
A Little Bit At A Time All The Time Has The Greatest Chance of Success.
It’s the Principle of the Tortoise and the Hare.
Test different headlines, body copy, offers, etc.
Then track results. Very quickly you’ll find out what offers produce more sales, profits or customers.
4. Advertising/marketing is nothing more than Salesmanship.
EVERY marketing/selling communication should make a compelling case for the product or service you are selling.
I constantly fought the thinking of most marketers who are traditionally “creative-minded” and get caught up in “cutsey”.
I want and teach “where the rubber-meets-the-road” marketing.
Function over form.
Every business owner has a story to tell. Something that makes you and/or your product UNIQUE. Tell the world. Tell it often.
Would you train your sales people to stop their sales presentation in mid stride or tell them NOT to ask for the sale or to take an action?
Would you tell your sales force to be flippant or “cute” in their sales presentation?
Would you tell them to only give a partial presentation?
Of course you wouldn’t!
Once you understand the Principle difference between “cutsey” advertising and rubber-meets-the-road selling and Principle Centered Marketing, you will have an immediate advantage over your marketplace and competitors.
5. An Educated Customer is the Best Customer.
If you haven’t by now understood the message, it is the more your prospects and clients know about you and your product, the more comfortable and trusting they become.
An Educated Customer Is The Best Customer.
Every business owner has a story to tell.
Something that makes you and/or your product UNIQUE.
Tell the world. Tell it often.
The research you went thru before even representing this product.
Present facts, proof, give a frame of Reference. Tell the good as well as some of the detriments.
I would much rather lose the sale during the presentation and gain a reputation of Integrity, than lose it after the sale because the client received disappointing results.
Under Promise and Over Deliver is the best Rule to follow.
In a follow-up message, I’ll tell the story about Schlitz Brewing company from back in the 1920’s that clearly demonstrates this Principle.
6. Always Make It easy for Your Customers to Say YES.
Every time you make a selling statement on a feature, give the client a frame of reference they can wrap their minds around.
Like this: “Have you ever searched for something on Amazon and the next time you went to your Facebook page, you saw an ad for that very same product? That’s Retargeting.”
Human nature is to say NO when we don’t completely understand something or we don’t have a complete Frame of Reference as to how it works, how it will benefit us.
Make it easy for the client to understand.
A very powerful way of doing this as well is to ALWAYS offer a Risk Free Guarantee.
