THE MARKETING EQUATION (Part 4)

Educate

Now that the prospect has been successfully interrupted and engaged, your job as marketer is to become the facilitator of information–-the fountain from whence all knowledge flows when it comes to figuring out how to buy what you sell.

You’ve got to give them enough information–-quantified, specific, delineated information–-that they feel like they understand the important and relevant issues. They need to feel like they’re in CONTROL of the decision. You’ve got to give them enough information to give them the unshakable confidence that they’re making the best decision possible. The more you educate the prospect on what he needs to know and look for and look out for, the more you’re going to sell. The information has to be delivered in a way that’s easy to quickly scan and digest. We simply call this component of the marketing equation Educate...and the information that is given to educate them is called “CONTROL” information, because it puts them in control of the decision.

Build A Case: Your product or Service IS ON TRIAL, THE CUSTOMER is the Jury, YOU are the Attorney and You must EDUCATE as to all of the relevant & important issues. Prove that you offer superior value. Present evidence of expert testimony to support your case. Remember, it’s a life or death sentence!

Marketing Equation Component 4: The Offer

Prospects from all points of the Educational Spectrum will respond to your offer, instantly increasing your ad’s “pull” by 2 to 100 times. And the best part is that you can now control those prospects by proactively nurturing them along via a follow up system...and capture more sales long term.

THE EDUCATIONAL SPECTRUM:

1. Prospect first gets the idea to buy what you sell (or switch vendors).
2. Prospect starts gathering information on an informal basis.
3. Prospect asks friends & associates for recommendations.
4. Heavy-duty fact finding.
5. Prospect narrows choices by process of elimination.
6. Prospect is narrowing in on favorites; decision is coming soon.
7. Prospect makes the decision to buy but not necessarily who to buy from.
8. Prospect is waiting for the timing to be just right.
9. The sales is made and money changes hands!

Most marketing pieces only appeal to NOW buyers. Problem is, those who are ready to buy now only account for 1% to 5% of all prospects. By putting a low-risk offer in your ad that allows the prospect to get more information–-become more educated–-you can capture a much larger portion of prospective buyers.

When all of the components come together, not only is it a thing of beauty, but you also make a lot more money! Remember, human nature demands that people always want to make the best decision possible. Marketing’s job is to facilitate that decision making process. As long as you have each of the 4 components of the marketing equation in place, your ads will work every time.

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