Marketing Mistake #6 – Selling the commodity

Many a businessman has made the mistake in telling their clients about the ‘work’ they are going to do for them. They tell them for example: I’m going to do a survey, a customer interview, competition research, staff focus groups, training sessions, personal coaching, yatch yatcha yatcha. 

Buyers don’t care about any of that. In fact, personal coaching, training sessions, surveys and so forth are not worth much at all. Minimum wage salary at best. 

People hire you, because they want results. Period. They don’t care how you are going to get them. They don’t want your CV, credentials, a long opening sphill about who you are and what your company does. 

They want …

Results!

People don’t want 6 month gym memberships. They want to lose weight, have more energy and build muscle. People don’t want a degree. They want recognition, status and better job opportunities. People don’t want business coaching. They want increased market share, lower customer attrition and a better public image. People don’t want … Aah shoot – you get the idea, right?

The only reason people buy something is they want the end-result or the benefit of that product or service will give them. How will you use this in your business? Take a single piece of paper and start writing all the benefits your product or service has for a prospect. 

For example, I’m a marketing consultant. I would write something like this: lower acquisition cost per customer, increased cash flow, higher life time value per client, better sales closing rates, more sales, boost website conversion rates, prevent business loans, ROI guarantee and so on.

Once you know the benefits of your product, the end result or what I’d like to call, your clients buy button – you can start to press it. Weave your benefits into client conversations. Use them in your elevator pitches. Talk with them at networking events. Use these in your ads and brochures. Teach your salesmen how to use them (The good ones probably use them already). 

You know, of all the marketing mistakes, selling the commodity, or what you do is probably the most repeated marketing mistake most people make. It’s easy to say hey I’m a life insurance agent. Or hi, I’m a marketing consultant. Or I’m a personal trainer. Here again the focus is on “I” – this is not the way to persuade.

It’a about you, You, YOU – Eugene Schwartz 

Remember it’s the benefits that sell. And it’s about the benefits your client perceives to be most valuable to him, that you should focus on. People are in it for the end result. Go out and give it to them.