Wouldn’t it be great if every time you make a sales presentation, write a letter, send your sales literature, or place an ad that you know, with some certainty, that you could get your prospects to take action and respond to your offer?

Well, to put it bluntly, it’s not that difficult if you just apply the basics of marketing. Unfortunately, marketing is one of the least understood and possibly one of the least underused courses of action in business today.

Marketing has made and will continue to make the difference between survival and extinction of a business today. Walking our way into the future with the overwhelming speed of daily change in this wildly unpredictable changing market, with shorter product life cycles, requires companies, small or large, to gain an advantage or lose market share to the competition. .

Having the upper hand today will involve refining your marketing with a holistic approach and sharp strategies that will accelerate your business growth. The more I research and study how companies stay alive and healthy, the more I am convinced and respect that strategic marketing is the forerunner to optimizing our sales performance.

Think of it this way: visualize an umbrella and label it “marketing” and “strategy.” Next, under the umbrella see advertising, branding, public relations, etc. Label those items “sales processes” and “tactics.”

“Marketing,” – the strategy – is what positions your company’s products or services favorably in the customer’s mind and aims to stimulate the customer’s desire and demand to make a purchase.

“Sale” – Tactical processes – are tools used to educate, inform, influence and persuade the customer’s purchase actions.

Both marketing and sales must lead the customer to action. For example: advertising is the art of selling in action. Radio, television, newspapers, direct mail (electronic or paper), and magazines should all be constructed in the same demanding way that a salesperson makes a presentation to a potential customer.

The same skills, habits, and attitudes that are required of a salesperson to influence customer action must be directly aligned with all of their various tactical processes.

For example, the successful salesperson must:

1. Develop and create a report

2. Understand customer needs

3. Highlight the tangible benefits

4. Skillfully move a customer toward a purchase

5. Keep the potential customer “engaged” with the buying process.

6. Strategically link a product or service to the most important needs and problems of a customer.

7. Detail the product or service to motivate the customer’s purchase action.

Every piece of advertising used in your marketing arsenal (newspaper ad, magazine ad, direct response mail, public relations campaign) should make a complete and compelling case for your products and services in the same way that a seller in person.

1. Do your ads (metaphorically) speak to your customers? Do they build a relationship?

2. Are your brochures, letters, newsletters, announcements, and public relations material credible and do they emotionally arouse people’s curiosity for wanting to learn more?

3. Is your marketing aimed at potential customers who have a real need for your products and services, who have the money and are willing to spend it?

4. Do your marketing materials educate and emphasize all the tangible benefits to keep the potential customer engaged and motivated to take a buying action?

Today is not the time to be shy in your marketing. People need a push to make decisions. They want and expect to be told what to do to get your products and services.

Carry out an evaluation of your strategic marketing and sales action mentioned above, and also check if:

1. Educate your customers about the unique benefits your products and services offer:

For). Service guarantees

B). Manufacturing or technical support

vs). Guarantee

D). Durability and Reliability

me). New product developments

F). Product updates and enhancements

gram). Delivery

2. Formulation of strategic questions to:

For). Link products or services to customer needs

B). Providing solutions to your problems

vs). Manage customer relationships

D). Keeping your customer and prospect engaged with the buying process.

3. Active listening to:

For). Emotional triggers

B). Logic reasoning

4. Handling objections to:

For). Minimize worries

B). Overcome obstacles

5. Present benefits that:

For). Motivate your customer’s loyalty and purchase action

B). Leverage your products and services over your competitors

Now is the time to pull out all your marketing materials, announcements, sales scripts, brochures, presentation materials, marketing channels and, yes, check your attitudes, habits and skills – it’s time to be innovative, non-traditional and bold in your thinking and your business. efforts.