“Marketing is sharing your awesomeness with other people.”
—Evan Horowitz

We were happy to have Evan Horowitz, a business advisor, at the Business Library last week giving a program on how to change your marketing to attract more prospects and turn them into clients.

He explained that most entrepreneurs, when they first start out, have “expert” skills, i.e. skills acquired due to the mastery in their field. And as important as those skills are, they are not enough to run and grow a business—entrepreneurs also need many other valuable “CEO” skills.

One of those additional skills is the ability to market their products/services in a way that turns prospects into clients, and clients into repeats. And how can that be done?  

Flip your marketing upside down!

It requires you to flip the commonly conceived notion of marketing on its head. Simply put, instead of emphasizing the features (what you, as the expert, want to highlight), emphasize the benefits (what your client wants to hear, because this is what will solve his problem or meet his goals).

Remember: “features tell, benefits sell.”

Understand what the concerns, frustrations, and goals of your prospects and clients are, and then emphasize them as the solution you sell. For example, say you are a fitness trainer, which approach do you think will sell better to a bride-to-be?

1. “I will design for you an interval workout consisting of plyometrics, isometrics and strength training”; OR
2. “I will design for you a workout that will make you look great in your wedding dress and look fabulous in your wedding photos.”

All features that YOU, as the expert, know will work for her are in approach (a) above. However, the bride will likely tune out with all that terminology and may not understand what you are saying—at least initially. However, if you go with approach (b) she will perfectly understand that the benefits you can provide are exactly what SHE CARES ABOUT and wants to achieve. And as you train her, then you can share your expertise and educate her on the terminology of the exercises, etc. Always put yourself in your customer's shoes and ask: "What's in it for me?"

In sum, once you have highlighted the benefits, then you will have the client’s permission to explain the features, not before.  

Evan will be back to do more programs, don’t miss them! The next one is “Five secrets to a steady flow of new clients with the limited time and money you have” on Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 6 – 7:30 PM. 

Want to learn more on this topic? We have some great books for you:

The E-Myth Revisited
by Michael Gerber

How to go from being an expert at your craft to learning how to start and run a business.

Agile Selling: Get Up to Speed Quickly in Today's Ever-Changing Sales World
by Jill Konrath

Mindsets, strategies and habits that to use in crazy-busy times to start strong, increase sales and stay nimble. 

The Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness: How to Make Sales Forever
by Jeffrey Gitomer

Worried about how to sell? Gitomer believes you're missing out on the more important aspect of sales: why people buy. This, he says, is "all that matters." His book aims to demystify buying principles for salespeople.

Made to Stick
by Dan and Chip Heath

How to create messages that get through to people, are memorable, and sell. A great example of the benefits to the customer is explained when the authors write (paraphrasing): “customers don’t need a drill, they need a hole in the wall to hang the family picture.”

The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies.
by Chet Holmes

The book is fabulous overall, but don't miss these chapters: 

• The high art of getting the best buyers. (The fastest, least expensive way to dramatically increase sales.)
• The seven musts of marketing. (Turbocharge every aspect of your primary marketing efforts.)
• The nitty-gritty of getting the best buyers. (Step-by-step, day-by-day tactics to land your dream clients.)
• Sales skills. (The deeper you go, the more you will sell.)
• Follow-up and client bonding skills. (How to keep clients forever and dramatically increase your profits.)