Too often, small businesses and non-profits are selling themselves short by being stuck in sales mode.
By Roy Harryman
Principal, Roy Harryman Marketing Communications
You've got a story to tell. No matter your business or organization, it’s built on a compelling history and vision.
But you may not be telling that story.
Instead, many small business and organizations are stuck in "sell" mode when it comes to marketing. Of course, stuff must be sold. Donations and members must be solicited. But there are ways that work ... and ways that don't.
In his book “Logo Design Love,” David Airey reports the average American views 16,000 ads, logos and labels each day. But heck, let’s throw another in there for good measure, just in case someone sees it.
To personalize this, let me ask you a question. Do you wake each day and turn to your phone, TV or newspaper thinking, “I hope there’s some good marketing promos today"? I didn’t think so.
It’s long past the breaking point. Messages above urinals, printed on eggs, overlaid on videos, car dealer guy screaming on the radio. Every square inch of the earth, it seems, is occupied with marketing messages.
This all helps illustrate the futility of the “just one more ad” approach.
But there’s no reason for despair. There are much better solutions – ones that won’t even make people hate you. Instead of shouting about your product, service or sale, you should educate, inform, entertain and enlighten. Or all four.
By resolving to educate, inform, entertain and enlighten, you show prospects you're on their side. You build trust and credibility. You get on their radar screen and stay there. Tell them how you:
Solve problems.
Make life better.
Change the world – or at least your little part of it.
What does this look like? Let me share example 1, example 2 and example 3. And there are countless more.
This puts you in a position to not only make a sale (or receive a contribution or a new member), but to become a problem solver – maybe even a confidant – for the long term.
If you take this approach, when it comes time to sell, much of the hard work is already done. You don’t have to establish your credibility or value. It’s down to simply seeing if the price is right.
Intrigued? Let's talk.