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Sales & Marketing Are Changing -
Stay Current to Stay Effective
By Kevin Stirtz
I've had some conversations
with people about how some big trends
are changing how people respond to marketing and sales efforts.
One of the people I talked with is Lonny Kocina, of Media
Relations, Inc.
Lonny explained how marketing has followed our productive
capacity. Mass production of products led to the need for mass
marketing of those products. And, it helped provide the means to
do so: mass communications.
Over the last 80 or so years, the nature of our production and
distribution has evolved to smaller production runs and more
customized or individualized products. Add to this the new media
(the Internet) that gives people the ability to acquire
information about almost anything.
We now live in an information-rich economy where consumers expect
to be well informed before they make a buying decision.
In the past, we could throw simple feature-based messages at
people and they'd respond. Whether the messenger was mass media,
direct mail or a salesperson, didn't matter. The message was
simple and uncluttered.
Unfortunately, things got cluttered.
Marketing became entertainment. Much of the product message got
lost because marketers felt the need to entertain people simply to
get them to stop and notice them. This took place both in mass
media marketing as well as in direct sales. We all had to work
harder just to get people's attention.
Now we find ourselves facing buyers who don't really want to be
entertained, who are busier than ever before, who have access to
the same information we do (for the most part) and who expect to
be treated like individuals rather than like nameless, faceless,
generic, mass-market buying units.
In the context of advertising, Lonny says we have evolved from
"short-form advertising" to "long-form advertising".
If this is all true, what does this mean for our marketing and
sales? One thing is that we have to recognize many of the old ways
do not work anymore.
For example, look at consumer based telemarketing. This industry
has been wiped out in the last few years. It got to the point
where it created too much noise and not enough substance. It no
longer added value to people's lives. It didn't do enough to help
people make better buying decisions. It conflicted with the way
people live and the way they want to interact with those who
provide them products and services. It became a dinosaur.
Take some time to apply these criteria to how you market your
business.
Is your marketing going the way of the dinosaur? Or, are you using
methods that acknowledge this new world we live in? Are you
reaching people in ways they want to be reached, with the
information they want? Are you helping them or bothering them?
If you're helping potential customers make informed, educated
decisions about your product or service then you're on the right
path.
If not, you probably should ask yourself why not. Think about how
to make your marketing more helpful to your potential customers.
You'll see a better return on your marketing investment if you do.
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More customers! More revenue! More profits!
That's what Kevin Stirtz helps companies create. Kevin is a
business growth expert who helps people improve their companies.
He has developed a unique program called "Build a Better Business"
that does just that. It helps you build a better business, on your
terms and according to your goals. Get a free copy of Kevin's
latest book, "Marketing for Smart People" by going to his website
at: http://www.StirtzGroup.com
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