If there’s one thing to remember about today’s consumers, it’s this:
They’ve seen it all. As a result, the modern courtship of a potential customer is a more complex process than ever. People want to get a sense of who you really are. They also need to compare notes with trusted associates and through social-network connections.
Here are a few key perspectives to keep in mind as you approach the prospects that best fit your individual strategy for business growth and development.
You need to date before you marry.
Except in cases of extreme inebriation and/or lack of judgment, no one would seriously start off a first date with the question: “So, will you marry me?” However, this is pretty much how push marketing has been conducted for decades.
For decades, companies would simply push mass-market messages to a broadcast
audience – expecting them to buy their product or service on impulse. In the days when advertising was more of a novelty, it worked quite well.
Today’s consumers have been over-hyped ad nauseam. They also have more choices than ever before, available through an unprecedented array of marketing and purchasing channels. The key for savvy marketers is to enable prospects to get to know their offerings – what’s in it personally for them – and what the company behind it is really all about.
During this “dating” process, an enterprise needs to provide as much relevant, fresh information as possible to prospective customers and followers. This can be facilitated by establishing a blog, by offering white papers like this one on key industry issues, and by disseminating benefit-oriented press releases on your latest achievements and advances.
When this level of interactive exchange takes place, people will take some time to get to know you, to talk to friends and associates about you, and to start feeling comfortable enough to think about someday marrying (i.e. buying from) you.