Consult, Dont Sell.

So many of us know and understand how we like to be helped when it comes time to buy something. But, when we’re on the other side, selling something, we don’t often think in those same terms. The Golden Rule, a Biblical principle says: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” This holds true in sales. All of us in the sales and marketing arenas ought to be selling to others the way we, ourselves, like to be sold to.

The truth is, that no one really likes being sold to. What we all want is a trusted consultant who is objective, informative and honest with us when we’re in a position to risk our time and money on a product or service. We buy because there’s a benefit we desire for ourselves from that product or service. We want the best price for the right product or service that meets our need. Each of these is important to remember when you’re on the other side of the equation, in the position of helping the buyer.

There are many keys to selling, but these are three of the most important ones that we all should remember when selling or marketing:

1. You Must Connect With People Before You Can Be Trusted To Help Guide Them.

Author, speaker and leadership guru, John Maxwell says that people must “know you care, before they care about what you know.” The principle is clear in stating that, in order for someone to trust what you’re telling them, there must be an understanding that you’re in it for them, and not just for yourself. Find any good sales consultant and the first thing you'll notice when they meet you is that they intentionally try to identify and relate with you before offering help. If you’re in a department store, that person might say something like, “I’m sorry sir, but I noticed you standing there looking a little unsure. I know there’s a lot of distractions and noise in this store. The truth is that I sometimes wish they would turn down the volume a bit myself. Is there something I can do right now to help you?” While this is a statement appropriate for a department store, the point it demonstrates is true for any situation. When you can identify with prospects/people at a human level, you will start to build their trust and increase their comfort level with you. An excellent way of establishing both rapport and credibility at the same time, is to relay similar challenges that you’ve had, or your customers have had, and how you learned and overcame them. Let the prospect know that you’re real, and that you ‘get it’, and people will, in-turn, want to listen to your recommendations.

2. People Buy For Their Own Reasons, Not the Salesman’s.

None of us walk into a store or go online for a service and think, “OK, how can I help this company make money.” The truth is that we buy based on what the individual products or services will do for us: offer peace of mind, a desired experience, save us time or money, or improve our lives in some tangible way. The Sandler Sales Institute, a nationally recognized professional sales training organization that I was fortunate to attend says that, “People buy emotionally and justify intellectually.” So, if you’re a TV salesman and you ask a customer, “Sir, what interests you about this particular model?” the customer will typically respond with something intellectual like, “Well, this one comes in the size I need and has the functionality I’m looking for.” While this might be true, what the prospect won’t say is that the reason why they want the really big, expensive Sony model is actually because they think the shiny design is amazing, and the feeling of joy and exhilaration they’re going to have while watching the game in full clarity is worth the money. What we need to do as sales consultants and marketers is to ask the right questions and get to the bottom of what is really driving the person to buy. Focus on the prospects true motivations rather than projecting your own reasons on them or accepting any of their initial intellectual, boilerplate responses.

3. Price Is Important, But It Is Not The Most Important Factor.

Continuing with the illustration above, the prospect/person seeks the Sony TV for the experience it will provide him. Therefore, if you were to try and talk that particular customer into going with the less attractive, budget model by a brand he didn’t recognize based on the fact that the price was better (and by the way, your margins are better on it too), chances are that you would lose both the customer’s trust and their business. That’s because you totally misunderstood his reasons for buying. I realize that it is counter intuitive, particularly in the current economic climate, to think that people don’t buy things primarily on price, but it’s a fact. Marketers often focus on the value a product or service provides because it’s a slightly better approach for addressing both the emotional and the intellectual factors of a purchase. Case in point: Consider why people buy Toyotas over Hyundais even though Hyundais have longer warranties, nearly equivalent gas mileage and safety ratings, not to mention, equally high customer satisfaction ratings over the last 5 years. The price of Hyundai automobiles is often 15-20% less than an equivalent model Toyota. I would submit to you that, along with resale value (which is a direct result of the public’s preference for Toyotas), the reason why people buy Toyotas is the peace of mind it offers them, not to mention, the brand name.

The bottom line is that when you understand the three principles above, you can begin to approach every engagement with a sense of what is important to prospects/people and start responding to their needs more like a consultant…more like a people-centric marketer.

Communicate Using Emotional Appeal

There's a part in the movie, "What Women Want" (Paramount Pictures, 2000) where Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson are brainstorming, trying to come up with the right tag line for a woman's sneaker ad they've been asked to pitch by Nike. Mel's channeling the insights he's gained from having had the ability to read women's thoughts all week with Helen who is mentally putting herself in the mind and shoes of a working women out for her daily jog. Both characters are focusing their minds on what it feels like to be that hypothetical woman - What she wants in life. What the time away and the road she runs on actually mean to her. Helen searches her thoughts and then suddenly lands on the expression, "No Games. Just Sports."

I mention this movie because for me, it's this kind of inspiration and emotional honesty that make ads memorable. We all connect on a very human level with words and images that represent an understanding of who we are, our values and how we truly feel inside. There are many effective ads out there that take on different methods and approaches, such as the humorous and repetitive approach of the FreeCreditReport.com jingles. But for me, my favorite ones have always been those that successfully employ emotional appeal. Here are two classic examples that have proven to be extremely effective. I'll provide links to them for you to watch, and then explain why:

1. "When I Grow Up", Monster.com, 1999
The genius of this ad is that it taps into the very hopes and aspirations we all had as kids, contrasting that authentic optimism with the employment realities we now face as adults. Seeing ourselves represented as children saying things like:

"When I grow up, I want to file all day. I want to climb my way up to middle management…be replaced on a whim. I want to have a brown nose…be a yes man. Yes woman. Yes sir, coming sir…anything for a raise, sir. When I grow up, I want to be under appreciated…be paid less for doing the same job. I want to be forced into early retirement."

is sad and sobering. With this ad, Monster.com expanded its pool of prospective users by tapping into an audience of millions and millions of dissatisfied workers. Today, with jobless rates at record highs, and those holding jobs having to take less and fight hard to keep their jobs, this ad has never been more relevant. The fact that the ad has stood the test of time and is now as relevant as it was 10 years ago, is a testament to the honest creativity of its authors.

2. "Why We Fly", Boeing, 2007
In this ad, Boeing connects the mission of their company with natural and identifiable human curiosity. The ad is a retrospective pairing of childhood imagination with flashes of modern exploration. Using diverse, multicultural images they tie mankind together to demonstrate how their pursuits are the embodiment and fulfillment of our own curiosity. In the end, the ad positions Boeing as a company that moves us all forward. The point being that, with this kind of positive relationship established, why would any taxpayer want to oppose a $64 billion dollar purchase of the next generation of fighter aircraft?

Inspiring and memorable ads such as these effectively use emotional appeal to strike a chord with consumers and in-turn, make their companies profitable. Note that compared to the Boeing ad (which used a combination of dramatic music, visual imagery and dialog) the Monster.com ad is quite stripped down and yet equally appealing. The fact of the matter is that, no matter what size company or budget you have, whether you are communicating via television or simply by way of a brochure, emotional appeal is an extremely effective way to humanize your company and connect with your audience in a visceral way.

Facebook, Personal.

Today I was going to post commentary on some of the recent TV commercials that I’ve seen including all of the good, the bad and the ugly. There's a new Honda commercial out that really puzzles me, a Hefty (I believe it’s Hefty) scented trash bag one that I think is genius, and couple of others. Just so you know, I still plan to write something on that topic, but for now, I've decided instead to share my recent excitement about having found old friends on Facebook with you. Warning: the post you're about to read is more personal than professional. So here goes…

First off, as a marketing guy, I have many different social networking accounts. Some are personal accounts and others I use to promote clients and organizations that I’m a part of. Well up until recently, I have to admit that I kind of resisted using my Facebook account ( in particular) as a personal account, and for many reasons. For one, I didn't like a lot of what I was reading in the press about the security issues regarding personal information and how Facebook was selling people's preferences. Also, just the overall nature and idea of exposing yourself to the world, literally forever, kind of gives me pause. On top of that, you have all of the social-holics that just don’t know when to quit. Some people post too often, exposing far too much about themselves and their families, for others, Facebook somehow becomes a gossip channel and a serious addiction.

Well, just recently I started taking baby steps toward using the service for both personal and business reasons. As I hinted earlier, I had had a personal Facebook account setup on behalf one of my clients. I primarily used it to promote the company, to keep up with professional contacts, and to syndicate company content. This Sunday, I decided to switch it up and give Facebook a try from a personal standpoint. I went ahead and transitioned the account by updating the photo (replacing the company’s logo with my head shot), changing out the bio and then began inviting personal friends and acquaintances to connect with me there.

Let me say what a pleasure it's been catching up with old friends. One old friend that I hadn't heard from in 14 years, looked me up and we chatted together last night. Like Classmates and LinkedIn of course, Facebook is nothing more than a multi-faceted online networking tool. Suffice to say, I’m now excited about the service again. While I still plan to remain selective and vigilant about the how I use Facebook, today I'm looking forward to its potential on a personal level. It will always concern me how easily people can become consumed by the social networking sites, often times forgetting to conduct themselves as though they were out in public (which they are), but for now, I am very interested in seeing how my new Facebook relationships develop.

So let me ask you this - if you're on Facebook and you're a friend or acquaintance of mine or, if you have an interest in connecting with me from a Marketing standpoint - click on the Facebook link on the upper left hand side of this blog page. Friend me, and I’ll respond to your request. Here’s looking forward to new connections, Facebook-style!

Engage First. Market Second.

I know it sounds like common sense to most, but I am continually surprised by the number of small businesses and entrepreneurs that I speak with who either don't know very much in the way of Marketing, or are just too busy to think through what it is that they're trying to accomplish and how best to accomplish it.

Most think, "we need to market and here's how our competitors are doing it, so we should do it that way too." It's too bad that this discussion never gets to the heart of the matter or centers on more practical thinking instead. Right away, questions like...

- who are we?
- what makes us unique?
- what is it that we do best?
- who exactly are our customers?
- why do customers buy from us?
- what is it they need most from us?
- where do they prefer to look to find out about products or services like ours?
- what credible sources do they rely upon for information and referrals?

are neglected. The fact is that all of these questions really need to be answered before you have any real clue of how to begin getting a customer's attention and earning their business. These primary questions form the basis for any effort whose goal is to reach a specific group of people and get them respond favorably.

Let's put an end to the myth right here and now: no matter what you've been told, people aren't suckers. A good question to ask yourself is: are you a sucker? No, of course not! In fact, when it comes to spending money, we're all just looking to connect with, and be excited about, brands, companies and products in very tangible, organic ways. The bottom line is, at the end of the day, you'll reach more of your customers if you're straight with them and completely honest with yourself.

So, you want more customers right? This then begs the questions: what kind of customers and what are you willing to invest to get them (and not just financially either)?

As an example, let's say your best customers are C-level executives at mid-market technology companies. Is placing a couple of ads in the Wall Street Journal (or even some trade magazine) the most effective way to grab their attention and get them to buy something? Probably not; especially right off. You and I both know that this type of approach would not be considered targeted marketing. The fact is, people generally require introductions before they're willing to engage, particularly C-level professionals responsible for the success and failure of growing corporations.

So, what instead if you decided to purchase a small, targeted contact list that included information about these executives and began personally calling them, introducing yourself (by phone and email), asking them for their feedback and opinions? I bet you at least a few of them, if not many more, who would tell you what they're about and what is most important to them (Note: if they're in Marketing, they'll especially appreciate what your trying to do). So go ahead and survey them. Then instead of placing that ad, hold a FREE webinar on a topic that you discovered was of particular urgency or importance to them and invite them to participate. Beginning a dialog this way is a great way to lay the groundwork for long-term relationships and business.

In the end, just remember to ask questions first; to listen first; to serve first; and to market second. Then, when you're ready to advertise, maybe you'll have some better idea of what kind of ad would make the most sense for your audience and where they're more likely to see it and respond favorably to it.

Why I Don't Really Like Using Twitter

I know, I know, Twitter's the most popular social networking site going (outside of Facebook). Millions are joining each month and everyone in the US is crazed about micro blogging. Well, I've been on Twitter for a few months now, and to tell the truth, the appeal has worn off. When I first started, I was out reading everything I could to learn about how best to use Twitter. I updated Twitter several times a day, worked hard to gain more followers, read others' posts and tried to be as socially engaging as possible. To date my account, @workfortweets, has 1,558 followers and I have posted 304 times. But honestly, I'm unfulfilled and here's why:

1. ITS ONE WAY COMMUNICATION - hardly anyone ever actually responds.
2. THE ENDLESS PURSUIT OF GENERIC FOLLOWERS - how targeted can you really be with a free-for-all forum.
3. PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU IF YOU FOLLOW THEM BACK - then you're stuck trying to keep up with updates from thousands (how much time do you have on your hands?).
4. URL SHORTENING - it means you can't actually qualify the link someone is asking you to go to.

With that said, you'll still find me interacting on Twitter. Why? The possibility and the potential. The idea that thousands of people might read what you say and the ability to follow other people in their daily lives is just irresistable. I guess that's why it's become such a recent social phenomenon.

Learning to Draw

I've been a full-time Sales and Marketing Manager for several years now. Writing and verbal communication are a central part of my background and education. Years ago I took up learning a new communications skill while owning a real estate advertising company: the skill of Graphic Design. Design has always been a part of my job that I enjoy doing. Over the past few years I've seen my design skills improving, so I decided that it was time to formalize my design education and I headed back to school. When you're in Marketing, it's one thing to contract a designer or to have one on staff; it's whole other thing to control the initial vision and final execution of your own ideas yourself. Here is a drawing of mine from the first week of my first ever drawing class (don't laugh, yes they're bananas):