1. There are NO secrets
Most information about almost everything is available on the internet and in general it can be found for free.
Most advertising doesn't work [...] What you need to do is monitor your results by building tags into your adverts
Mostly its common sense, but sometimes we all need help formulating what we know into a clear course of action.
There are also a few facts that are little known or considered, which I guess makes them secret from some people but if that is the case all information is secret from us until we are exposed to it.
2. The shocking truth revealed
Most advertising does not work.
Most companies that advertise do so because they feel they should and have absolutely no idea what the results are.
What you need to do is continually monitor your results. You can do this by building tags into your adverts; if people have to call you use different numbers for different ads.
You can do this easily with internet-based companies that offer 0870 numbers for free that are directed to any phone you like.
If you are luring people to your shop through a special offer then you can say something like: “Mention the Times to get an extra 10% off.”
You and your staff need to ask people what brought them to your business.
Ask them what they think of it, what could be better and what they like best.
This way you can improve where needed and promote the best, most attractive things in your advertising.
3. Don’t sell the business
Sell the benefits of what you are offering not the business itself.
Often people get caught up in telling the world how long they have been in business, that it was their father’s father’s father’s uncle who started it.
That’s all very well, but what does that tell me about what you are offering me today?
Talk about how the customer will benefit from having your company service their needs or sell them a new widget.
They need to know that they will have a better life because of what you are offering them so make it clear.
Always direct your offer and sales literature at the audience to whom it is intended.
Write from their point of view, put yourself in their position and imagine what issues are important to them; it may be different from what is important to you.
4. If they say it’s too expensive, you’ve made the sale
It’s a classic misconception that when someone says that something is too expensive, it really means that they like it and would have it but don’t see how they can justify it.
So that just leaves you to tell them how they will be much better off because of it and will actually save money in the long run.
Just because the competition has a similar product at half the price doesn’t make it twice the value.
You have to justify the expense with the benefits and thus prove the value of your offer.
Often a cheap product will need replacing or not function efficiently so the value of a more expensive, high quality version is easily proved.
It is a common mistake to become preoccupied with price and sell-on price alone.
There is always someone cheaper than you and you could end up slashing your margins and profits.
Then you have to cut services and before long there is very little value in your offer.
It is much more profitable to sell on value and it can mean better profits and levels of service.
It is also more rewarding in other ways and, more often than not, easier to market.
5. Saying “I can’t afford it” is saying I want it
Here again, as with the last point, people say they can’t afford something only if they like it but haven’t got the cash.
Imagine selling Ferraris – almost everyone wants one, that’s not the problem, it’s finding people who can afford the finance.
So if people say that they can’t afford it, make it more affordable to them with easy payment plans or finance.
This has been the secret of the success of the white goods trade over the last 20 years. It is the way most people now budget for big item purchases; gone are the days of saving up.
Make them want it enough, make it no money down and low monthly payments and you are assured of success.
Not always possible, as with the Ferraris, but finance is a killer amplifier to almost any offer.
To see the last 2 secrets of marketing go to www.salesandmarketingwealth.com and type "secrets" into the secrets slot.
