Many business people have a distorted view about the distinction
between sales & marketing. The common view looks something like
this. "Market by advertising to get your name out there, so
that people will be familiar with you. When they need what we’re
selling, they’ll know who to call".
And off they go, to promote their company with image advertising
that shouts to the world how great they are.
They hope, and they prey that some how, some way, the message about
their brand will stick in people’s minds. Never knowing if
it does, or if it doesn’t. Or whether their marketing dollars
are paying them back in increased sales.
Some even think a cool web site, or sexy flash demo is enough to
get their phones to start ringing.
This all too common approach is a huge waste of time, and money.
Never let an advertising rep tell you any different.
Sales and Marketing are far more alike than most people realize.
The sole purpose of marketing, and advertising is to make sales.
Full Stop.
If you don't know how many sales dollars your online advertising
is really bringing in, stop advertising.
Advertising must do much more than just get your name out there.
It must educate, qualify, convince, & persuade.
Great Advertising is Nothing Less Than “Salesmanship in Print”!
Think of it as a sales presentation that’s geared toward accomplishing
a carefully defined objective, whether that objective is the actual
sale, or a step toward it.
Most successful campaigns are in fact a series of graduated commitments,
leading up to a transaction. It might start with something as simple
as an exchange of information. For example, the prospects name &
address, in exchange for some information about solving a problem.
That's always a winning formula.
When a prospect takes this step, they are actually qualifying themselves,
persuading themselves, and giving you permission to follow up with
them, all at the same time. And without any investment in personal
selling.
After all, why should you waste your valuable time talking to a
prospect that isn't already highly qualified, and predisposed to
buying from you?
The key to profitable sales, marketing, and advertising lies in
the response. Yet 90% of businesses fail to ask for, and track incremental
response in their advertising. The only thing they track are sales,
and then wonder why their results are so abysmal.
Why Is Incremental Response So Important?
Because it tells you what you're getting, so you can change what
you're giving, until you get what you want.
The majority of people need to be exposed to your value proposition
more than once before opening their wallets anyway. Why not play
an active role in the process, and track the response you get to
each successive stage of commitment?
Think of a pyramid, with rows of blocks piled one on top of the
other. The wider you build each row, the better your chances of
getting to the top.
If all of this sounds just too simple, and you don't believe it
has the power to line your pockets with all the money you want,
think again.
There are millions of businesses out there that just don't get this.
Nobody knows for sure how an individual will react to a given message.
But en mass, human nature is as predictable as the hands on a clock.
If you broadcast a message, the collective response will consistently
come back to you within an amazingly small variance. So measure
your response, try things, and repeat. It's that simple.
Set up a few pay per click campaigns on google, track your investment
in real time, and start experimenting to see what kind of desirable
actions you can get your visitors to take right away when they read
your sales message. You get instant feedback, and changes are no
cost. The whole set up runs for about the cost of a few cups of
coffee a day.
Think of it as your own personal marketing laboratory. When you
find something that works, you can replicate it in other more costly
forms of media.
And remember, it doesn’t matter if you're selling printed
circuit boards, herbal remedies, or anything in between, the same
principles apply.
Daniel Levis is a top marketing consultant & direct
response copywriter based in Toronto Canada. Recently, Daniel &
world-renowned publicist & copywriter Joe Vitale teamed up to
co author “Million Dollar Online Advertising Strategies From
The Greatest Letter Writer Of The 20th Century!”, a tribute
to the late, great Robert Collier. Let the legendary Robert Collier
show you how to write
words that sell Visit the below site & get 3 FREE Chapters! http://www.Advertising-...-Strategies.com/ad-strategies.html.
