Robin Good: If you are still thinking about marketing as the most efficient and direct way to make your customers buy from you, it is time to start reconsidering this approach.
Going for the sell, sell, sell approach has worked for decades and for millions of sales people, but now, the most effective and durable way to make your business thrive, is once again the one that requires no thinking: don't think about selling, think about helping and listen closely to what your potential customers want.
That's all there is to it: make yourself accessible and truly helpful.
To exemplify what it takes, the short story of Eydie Stumpf may help you out: "When I first moved to California in 1998, I worked as a car and truck sales person.
Never having sold anything in my life, this was a completely new world for me.
The goal, as was explained to me, was to put every person who walked onto the lot into a vehicle — period.
The sales manager trained me and provided me with various scripts that I was to use to overcome objections.
Every morning we began the day with a sales meeting and afterwards, the sales team marched into the trenches with the words sell, sell, sell, throbbing in our heads.
After about a week on the job, a team member approached me. He bluntly told me that I would never make it as a car sales person.
“You’re too nice”, he said.
“You can’t make friends with the customers. They’ll never buy from you.”
Morale of the story:
"Relationship marketing is not just for social media.
Build relationships using your blog, email marketing, and offline events like networking groups, business expos, mixers, and speaking opportunities.
Online or off, attract loyal customers by allowing them to know who you are, know who they are, and enlighten them with the priceless information you have that can solve their problem."
Good reminder. 7/10
Full article: http://www.pe.com/business/business-columns/ask-eydie-headlines/20120421-advice-social-media-and-e-mail-marketing-for-small-businesses.ece
Check ou the info graphic...