Strategic Marketing (3)
Market your product-service benefits
I would be dwelling a little more on this; it appears to be pivotal to this whole topic. According to Brian Tracy, ‘The best sales presentation shows the prospect how much better off he will be if he buys and simultaneously how much worse off he will be if he neglects to buy.’ That is very remarkable. Every human action in purchase of a product-service is aimed at an improvement of some kind. People buy certain items because they feel they will be better off as a result. They also feel they will be better off if they bought some other product-service, or if they bought nothing at all. It is only when the customer feels that the value he receives is greater in excess of the cost that he will have to pay that a buying decision takes place. If you are still in doubt, think about the last product that you bought.
People don’t buy products; they buy benefit. They buy solutions to their problems; the ways to satisfy their needs. It is your duty to bridge the gap between what they want and what you have. You must always talk about your product-service in terms of what the customer wants, and not in terms of what you are marketing and wants him to perceive. It’s very unfortunate that most marketing focus on their product-service features rather than benefits. I have had a couple of people come to me with their products; they fail to make sales simply because of this marketing blunder. I was once like that until I got the secret, and my story changed! While features might arouse interest, it’s the benefits that establish buying desire.
There is a key benefit that the prospect is seeking. His ‘no’ is not an answer. Whenever you hear ‘no’, it means that you have not uncovered the benefit (except that he or she was not in need of that particular product-service). It behoves on you to convince the buyer that he will enjoy this benefit if he buys your product-service. Perhaps the primary thing here is the difference between what your product-service is and what it does. But the prospect cares less about what your product-service is; he only cares about what it does, especially what it can do for him.
Always remember that benefit, like quality and value is subjective. And subjectivity is guided by perception. Create a channel to influence people’s perception based on what matters most to them. Every product-service is really the packaging of a problem-solving service. The marketer’s responsibility is to uncover the needs hiding under the product-service and sell them to the buyers. You have no business marketing a product-service whose different benefits you know nothing about. Let me say it again, people don’t buy your product-service, the buy the result; they buy ‘what’s in it for me’. They buy solution to their problems. If you don’t care about that, I do, and same with countless others.
Pose as friend
A man once quipped, ‘When people feel that someone genuinely likes them, they are more open to listening to that person and to buying what he is selling’. Make your prospect feel more comfortable and relaxed buying from you. It’s wisdom to approach every marketing situation as a friend; it’s a skill that can be acquired. Influencing the action of your prospect becomes easier when he sees you as a trusted friend. You should endeavour to achieve that in your first meeting. It all lies in your relational-posture with him or her. Marketing research has it that a prospect will not buy from you until he is convinced that you are his friend and that you are acting in his or her best interest.
There is much to say that the paper can occupy. You’ve got enough to get you started. Meet and exceed that target; explore new marketing grounds with ease. It’s a new day for you as you take those product-services to the ultimate buyers, and giving them what they want. It’s up to you to make that happen! Meanwhile, registration for the next business development workshop is on.
About the Author
Tony Ajah is a business growth strategist, and the Principal Strategist, TA Strategic Solutions, a Lagos-based firm that is into business growth and development. [email protected]
