You’ve been told for years that you sell on benefits not features. It’s one of those things you see stated again and again, yet there is a key element missing, which is essential if you want to get the best return on your marketing investment. That’s what this post is all about.
Educate then inform
A common marketing myth is that you need to market your services based on benefits and that’s it! This is incorrect. Selling on benefits is only half the deal. First, the other person needs to believe they have a problem, which your benefits solve. If they don’t believe they have a problem, they are not going to buy your solution. The challenge here is that many people who really need your services, don’t know it yet. For these people, you need to educate them that they have the problem, before you stand a chance of them becoming a client.
For example, if someone is using a “cheap” accountant, they may think they are getting a GREAT deal. It’s only after they learn that their cheap accountant is losing their business 50k a year needlessly, by giving them bad advice, that they are aware they need a good accountant, and quick! An hour before they discovered they were losing out on 50k a year, they would have been bragging to their buddy about what a great deal they got from their accountant and not remotely interested in finding a better accountant.
Yes, the benefits of your service are extremely important to your marketing, but they are of little real marketing value, until you have convinced your prospective client that they actually have a problem.
Use this idea and become the only show in town!
If you are really smart, you will develop a unique solution that your competitors are not offering. This way, when you educate your prospective clients that they have a problem, your service becomes the answer, rather than simply an answer.
Get this right and you will never have to sell based on fees again, plus you will always be in demand. It’s one of the many things I work on with my clients and the results can be amazing!