Have you ever heard the saying, “People love to buy, but they hate to be sold”? Businesses that are not growing have a skewed view of their marketing. They are programmed to believe that marketing is about selling—selling by being the loudest, fastest and cheapest. They focus on advertising bursts, inflatable-dancing-wind-people and hokey promotions.
What customer’s really want is to understand the value.
A sale happens when value exceeds price. That’s where marketing comes into play. Marketing should promote value, not a 25-percent-off sale. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about the reasons why they need your product and the possible pain points that have led them to make a purchase. When you are evaluating your marketing, focus on the value first, and use it to build your message. Here is a great way to build a value-based marketing campaign.
Begin with the vision.
Tell the story that will help them see what your product or service does. You can do this effectively with a carefully selected image or headline. You only have a few seconds to grab their attention, so make sure that they know what your are selling as soon as they see your ad.
Present the advantage of your product.
What will it do for them that makes it the best? Build up your advantages and benefits. This will separate your product from all of the others and help you to stand out from the competition.
Build the love for your product.
Customers that love products will soon become referrals and indirect salespeople for you. Buying is an emotional decision, and emotions are part of every decision we make. People remember more of how you made them feel than what you said. Most importantly, emotions trigger action, and getting them to respond is the purpose of marketing.
Present everything so that it is easy for your customer to understand.
Don’t get super technical. Let your salespeople take care of that. Put out enough information that makes them curious to contact you to learn more but not so much information that they make the decision on their own. Guide them to you so you can help them with their purchase.
Get them excited
You want them to be eager to purchase your product because it will solve their problem and fill their need. Get them to imagine what they will do with your product before they buy it. This will build anticipation and make them want to buy now. There is a reason that people line up for the newest iPhone™ every year. It’s because they are excited about all of the value it brings them. Build the excitement, and help them imagine their lives and all the things they can do with your product.
V.A.L.U.E – Vision, Advantage, Love, Understanding and Excitement. Build value into your marketing message, and your customer will reward you with their business.