ADVERTISEMENT

    What You Make Is Not What You Sell

    Research continually shows that people make decisions emotionally, then justify what they want with logic. So if logic is your first line of offense in your marketing, you’re not addressing a huge chunk of your potential audience.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Whatever your product or service, what you putĀ into it, is not what your customerĀ gets out of it. Features go in and benefits come out. And benefits are almost always felt on an emotional level.

    Let’s use a landscape business as an example

    What they doĀ āˆ’lawn care, landscaping, spring and fall cleaningāˆ’Ā is one thing. And those companies that only promote those services are doingĀ themselves a disservice.

    They shouldn’t sell the fact they make your grassĀ green.Ā What theyĀ shouldĀ sell is the factĀ they make your neighborsĀ jealous. Doing that opens up all kinds of new options to stand out from your competition.

    They key, of course, is being the first in your community to market yourself that way. Then stick with it.

    Pick something unique and be known for it

    For instance, Volvo makes cars, but it sells ā€œsafetyā€ and now whenĀ asked to name the safest car, it’s the company people name. OtherĀ attributes often accompany a characterization, so not only is a Volvo the ā€œsafetyā€ car, but it’s also the ā€œcaring for your familyā€ car.

    Folgerā€™s Coffee has tagged itself the ā€œmountain grown coffee.ā€ The fact is,Ā everyĀ coffee is grown in theĀ mountains; coffee canā€™t grow anywhere else.

    What they make is crappy coffee, but what they sell is (somewhat) exotic coffee. The point here is Folgers was the first to claim it, so now the company owns it.

    One small home builder wondered how it could differentiate itself. After some research, they hit upon something that gave them a unique specialty for a specific audience.

    Builders “do” construction, but what this company sold is that they areĀ “The Certified Aging-in-Place Builder.” That is an emotional appeal to a large audience: people over 60 who want to stay in their homes!

    Do a Google search for “Columbus foot doctors” and you’ll see there are a ton of them. SoĀ how can one practice stand out from the other foot docs in Columbus?

    Well, consider the statistic that 50 percent of foot issues are from bunions. (I never said this would be pretty!) This foot doctor fixes foot problems, but he could market himself as “The Bunion Expert.” Of course, people want to go to an expert for their specific issue. And it opens the door to other services once they have someone on the phone or in their office.

    Don’t sell your company, sell what your company can do for your customers

    Most small companies think their logo, or at least the name of the company, is what differentiates them. Not true. Your logo is not the best thing to put at the top of an advertisement.Ā Why?

    Because your logo is not a benefit to anyone. It’s a waste of valuable “real estate” in an ad, web banner, or any other marketing material. No one cares nearly as much about your company as they care about what your company can do for them. Find a way to make their lives better, easier, more fun, sexier, or solve one of their problems.

    Here’s a web banner for a home builder who is makingĀ home buying more fun.

    Please stop talking about yourself in your marketing

    It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the most common mistakes in marketing isĀ talking too much about your company. (These are probably the same folks who put their logo in the headline.)

    WhatĀ everyoneĀ reallyĀ wants to hear is notĀ what you do, but “What can your company do for me?”

    Which gets us back to the fact that what you make is not what you sell. What youĀ make is all about your product or service. What youĀ sell is how it benefits the lives of your customers.

    So look at your product or service from your customers’ perspective and market yourself as the company that solves one of their problems.

    The key is to engage your audience on both an emotional and intellectual level. Because if they can relate, they will respond.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    Eco-Chic at the Nexus of Style and Wage Justice

    HER Denim, a minority- and female-owned social enterprise led...

    Shop Talk: Elm & Iron Expands Brand with Wedding Venue, Airbnbs

    A small antique and home decor shop in Clintonville...

    Rag-O-Rama Abruptly Shutters Clintonville Location

    Long-running thrift store Rag-O-Rama has closed up shop at...

    The Top 10 Columbus Plant Shops of 2023

    There's a blooming gardening scene in Columbus (pun intended)...

    The Top 10 Specialty Stores of 2023

    Looking for a unique place to shop? Columbus is...
    ADVERTISEMENT