Disregard conventional "wisdom" when it comes to marketing. Forget "K.I.S.S." (Keep It Simple Stupid), ignore "less is more", and throw out "short and sweet". With sales and marketing, the more you tell, the more you sell.
Think about your last major purchase. Maybe it was a new High Definition or Plasma TV. Maybe it was a new car.
Did you simply walk up to the first model you saw that looked nice and buy it? Or did you look at a variety of models, read brochures, ask questions of the sales staff, research online, ask a knowledgeable friend's advice, and arrange a test-drive or product demonstration?
Most people do the latter.
Don't get me wrong, keeping things simple is important, but phrases like K.I.S.S. and "less is more" have done a lot more harm than good when it comes to marketing a company's products and services.
Obviously we don't want to bore our customers with overly technical information. Nor should we use 1000 words where 10 would do. But over the years keeping things simple has been taken to extremes.
Today most companies present their prospects with oversimplified information. Customers aren't given enough information to make an informed buying decision. And that is a mistake that you cannot afford to make.
If you're disagreeing with me at this point, don't worry, you're not alone. I have several friends who work for large ad agencies who refuse to accept this. They tell me that nobody wants to know nitty-gritty details, that people are too busy to be bothered learning about a product, and that marketing is all about image.
Many business owners feel the same way. "Surely nobody is interested in the process I go through to bring my widget to market?" Oh really?
Detail Sells
If I tried to sell you a brand new Cadillac STS by running through a few of its features and quoting Cadillac's image-oriented tagline "Break Through" you wouldn't be rushing to reach for your wallet, would you?
Well, you might, if you'd already decided you wanted one or if the price was right or if you liked the image of owning a Cadillac, but it would have had little to do with my efforts as a salesperson.
On the other hand, would you be more likely to buy if I went into much greater detail?
I might explain how the features would benefit you. I might tell you that the 320 horsepower engine would give you all the accelerating power you need and would enable you to tow heavy loads. The all-wheel drive and traction control would ensure that you could use the engine power safely, even when road conditions were poor.
I might explain the amount that Cadillac had invested in the research and development of StabiliTrak, a system that further improved the safety of the vehicle and made it the most stable car in its class. I might explain how committed to safety Cadillac is.
There could even be a great human story behind one or more of the features. If there were, I'd be sure to work it into my sales material.
For example, maybe the lead engineer had been involved in a horrific car accident in which several members of his family were badly injured. Assuming this were true, I might explain to you that ever since then, he'd made it his mission to make the STS the safest vehicle on the road. I could then supply you with all the ways in which this engineer’s accident was benefiting Cadillac owners, and explain all the wonderful enhancements made possible by him and his team.
After explaining the safety features in all their glory, I might then remind you that comfort had not been sacrificed for all these performance and safety features. I'd show you the spacious cabin, point out the generous legroom, let you play with the surround sound, and show you the enormous trunk capacity.
In short, I'd take you through the features, explain their benefits to you, explain why they'd been included in the vehicle, and give you powerful reasons why you'd want to buy it.
My goal would be to educate you. I'd want you to know as much about the car as I did, because if you did, I'd know that you'd be much more likely to buy.
Why Educating Prospects Translates into Higher Sales
Why does knowing more increase sales? Because the more a customer knows about a product the higher he or she will perceive the product's value.
In the car example above, the prospect might be saying "Gee, they went to all that trouble and expense to create a safer car? It has features that no other cars in the world have? They've been working at it for five years? Their engineers are that committed? It must be a great car."
The more you know about a product the more you're likely to value it highly.
Education also helps the prospect get past the fears and doubts he or she has about purchasing. Every prospective customer asks the same kind of questions: "Will this work as advertised?" "Will this offer me everything I need?" "Am I getting a good deal?" "Is this product my best choice?"
The single most effective way of assuaging these fears is to educate the customer and let him or her discover all the benefits of what you're selling.
This approach applies whether you're selling cars, accounting services, real estate, computer software, or toothpaste. It even applies if you're a non-profit seeking donations.
No matter what your product or service, the more you educate customers on the benefits you can provide to them, the more reasons you can give why they should choose you over the competition, the more you can explain how and why your product will do what it promises to do, and the more relevant you can make your sales message to their lives, the more prospects you will convert to customers.
Remember: the more you tell, the more you sell. So whatever you're selling, make it come alive in your marketing material.
Start Educating Your Customers Today!
Assuming I've convinced you that telling more is the key to selling more, you're probably wondering how exactly to go about it in your business.
Here are some strategies that you can begin to apply today.
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Firstly, make your marketing materials more educational. List all the details of what you sell. How and why was it conceived? How is it made? How does it work? Why is it better, faster, smoother, quieter, etc? What makes it better value than a competing product or service?
Now write about these details and really explain their importance. Emphasize the benefits and value that each feature or each step in your process provides. Try to write from your customer's point of view by talking about things as he or she would see it. To avoid being overly "salesy" you might try pretending you're a journalist writing about your product. Be informative and newsworthy. Really educate your customer so that even if they don't buy, they've still learned something from reading your material.
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Continue to educate your customers by offering free information. Write articles about the issues your product or service helps people with. Help them see that the only logical solution to their problem is your company's product or service.
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Use your "stay in touch" process to educate customers. Many businesses keep in contact with prospects and customers through newsletters and regular mailings. Make these truly educational. Don't just talk about what is happening in your company or what you did at the weekend; use the newsletter as an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and to emphasize the value that your products and services can provide.
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Allow customers "backstage". A behind the scenes look at your company can be a real eye-opener for a customer. You can take customers backstage figuratively in your marketing materials. Show them the way you select your raw materials, tell them why you choose one production method over another, demonstrate the quality inherent in your workmanship, and explain how each and every minute detail contributes to the vastly superior product or service you are able to offer.
If it's appropriate to your business, you can literally take your customers behind the scenes by offering a tour of your factory, workshop, or office, or by allowing them to accompany you on a visit to your suppliers so that you can show them how you select your wares.
These are just a few examples of ways that you can educate your customers. Are they boring? Will you turn customers away by going into this level of detail? Not at all! In fact, you will attract a greater number of qualified prospects with marketing materials that tell the whole story. You will also convert higher numbers of prospects into paying customers.
Give it a try and see for yourself. If you'd like help developing educational marketing materials or if you're not sure how to apply this to your business contact Inspire Consulting today.
Posted on
Saturday, June 28, 2008 1:07 PM