Friday, April 17, 2009

MARKETING WITH ATTRACTION

This week, I was reminded of a quote from one of my mentors, Thomas Leonard, who observed that, "People love to buy things, but almost no one wants to be sold."Thousands of people are eager to buy what you sell. They want the benefits, the convenience, the comfort or prestige that you can provide. Human beings are an "acquisitive" bunch. We want stuff!
Of course, consumerism can be abused, but buying and selling is the process that creates the life (and the lifestyle) we all want. The "desire to acquire" goes deep, and it's a good thing.So, if you aren't making as many sales as you would like, let me suggest that the problem is not with your customers, but with you. The problem is likely one of the following:
1. Not enough potential customers know about you or that your product could enrich their lives. This is a marketing problem, and as a business leader it is your job to solve it. Let people know! Get out there and get in the game!
2. Or, the other possibility, is that you're trying too hard to "sell." Personally, I have a deep-seated aversion to being "sold" anything. I see websites that seem manipulative or dishonest. I see sales techniques that fail to build trust or credibility, and definitely do not attract me. That's one reason I've turned down the repeated suggestions to use high-pressure conference calls to sell my World Class Life Conference. Calls can be good, but I've never liked the sense that they are used to "drive" sales. People don't like being sold.
But people are eager to buy benefits! They buy solutions to their problems. They buy things that make their lives better, easier, simpler, healthier or more comfortable. They buy stuff that makes them happy. And they buy from people they know and like and trust.If enough people "know and like and trust" you, they will listen when you offer a product or service that will make their lives better. If they "know and like and trust" you, they will flock to your door and you'll make all the sales you need.

No comments: