20 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
20 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

You really need to get schooled up on...

by ewenmack
14 replies
Your prospects...

And what your competitors are saying to them.

Yes business is tough...when you don't get schooled up on those 2 things.

If you don't understand your prospects situation better than anybody else,
why would they take notice to what you say?

If you don't know what your competitors have been saying to your prospects,
how can you expect people to buy from you if your message is like or similar to others?

You are making it way too hard for people to buy from you without those
2 things.

That's all.

Best,
Doctor E. Vile
#schooled
  • Profile picture of the author niconico
    And how am I supposed to do that?
    What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787346].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author jamesfreddyc
      Originally Posted by niconico View Post

      And how am I supposed to do that?
      What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
      I think the best advice I have received as it relates to the OP is to stop worrying or thinking about selling and just start having conversations with these people. Inquire about issues/problems/tasks in their businesses that relate to your solutions.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787374].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      Originally Posted by niconico View Post

      And how am I supposed to do that?
      What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
      1. listen to your prospects, don't just be selling/pitching.

      2. "Know your Competition", as in how, what, pricing, etc..,


      my 2 takeaways

      and as James says, have conversations
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787379].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
        Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

        1. listen to your prospects, don't just be selling/pitching.

        2. "Know your Competition", as in how, what, pricing, etc..,


        my 2 takeaways

        and as James says, have conversations
        I'd take it further than that and I posted a link in one of Ewen other posts to work by Justin Roff-Marsh.

        Justin's take on things, so I'm not trying to claim credit here, is that too often people start the relationship after the sale.

        His philosophy revolves around building the relationship before the sale possibly as we all do with lead magnets and content marketing but he really takes it to another level.

        Getting into your prospects minds, engaging their thoughts and partnering them to help with the discovery of solutions is what the long-term businesses are doing.

        Form the relationship with your prospect long before they become a client.

        Maintain the relationship for a lifetime by becoming the conduit for discussion much like Ewen does with his posts.
        Signature
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9789488].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author thet
      Originally Posted by niconico View Post

      And how am I supposed to do that?
      What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
      Ewen is very cryptic in his posts. I think it's on purpose for you think about stuff.
      Sometimes, he loses me. But perhaps that says more about my level of thinking about off-line marketing.
      Signature

      Recognize reality even when you don't like it - especially when you don't like it.
      — Charlie Munger

      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787382].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author DWolfe
        Originally Posted by thet View Post

        Ewen is very cryptic in his posts. I think it's on purpose for you think about stuff.
        Sometimes, he loses me. But perhaps that says more about my level of thinking about off-line marketing.
        Niconico the above poster is correct. Not so much cryptic, as he teaches to think for your self. The thread about the tipping point earlier this summer was a great example of that. The post went on for days and he would not give the answer it gave people fits but it was a better education than one is taught in the schools most of the time.


        A lot of time in life you will have to make decisions in life and you will have to think for your self. If you run a business their are daily problems that arise and you will have to make the call at the time a problem or opportunity shows up.


        Example- You hire a Website designer to build a site. The day it is due to be delivered to the customer. You find out the Web designer takes off with your money.. Mean while the customer wants his site or a refund. What are you going to do ?
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787482].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      Originally Posted by niconico View Post

      And how am I supposed to do that?
      What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
      The "advice" given was STOP making those mistakes.

      First if you have a problem you find out what the cause is first
      before coming up with a fix, like a doctor does.

      If you have a marketing challenge now, then you wouldn't
      expect me or anybody else for that matter to come up
      with an answer without fully investigating what are the causes
      beyond the symptoms.

      And then beyond that you'd most likely want that to come from
      a place of trust and privacy, not in a public forum.

      Best,
      Doctor E. Vile
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787619].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Peter Lessard
      Originally Posted by niconico View Post

      And how am I supposed to do that?
      What's the point of this post if you're not going to actually share any advice?
      Ewen loves to make us think and lack of a complete action plan certainly does not suggest lack of advice.

      You may notice many of the threads in this section simply start with a few simple observations with others chiming in to add value. What you often end up with is a great thread or seeds being planted that generate other interesting threads around the same subject.

      For exact how to plans you can turn to the WSO section but they in my opinion are often worth less than thinking about and working through marketing issues with a great group of people.
      Signature
      Ready to generate the next million in sales? The Next Million Agency
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9787902].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tryinhere
    Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

    If you don't know what your competitors have been saying to your prospects, how can you expect
    people to buy from you if your message is like or similar to others?
    Although that has some weight, I would not class it as a must know before hand you should be able to during chat pick up up on any vibes and discover most things you need to know if need be (but agree it would be handy to know sometimes maybe?), and in regards people not buying from me if the message is the same I do not buy it in a way that I will not be pandied or pushed into making a new script or spill just to avoid competition, the words used would be what I wanted to use regardless, and I would let others worry about me, other than me worry about them.

    I would nearly say that 2 opposing sales guy could have the same pitch and one be crap at it and one be brilliant, place two singers in a room singing the same song, one will sound like heaven and the other hell.
    Signature
    | > Choosing to go off the grid for a while to focus on family, work and life in general. Have a great 2020 < |
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9788187].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    The point is...

    Marketing messages are noise for a lack of a better term, so if your message is the same as every one else' your just a part of the same old noise the prospects hear every single day!

    This is why major brands have started using humor in their marketing message because it's
    easier to differentiate yourself with humor when you sell red widgets like every one else in your space does.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9789548].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I was kind of thinking about this as I was sitting in a restaurant last night watching sports on their big screen TV.

    I was exhausted from the past ten days of having 100% occupancy at the hotel during the holidays,
    so my mind was very unfocused. I was relaxing, getting distracted by all the noise in the place, the game, business problems...Then some advertisements came on.

    One was for a car, the next for a beer, the next for a shaving razor... It made me wonder how you get through all the varying personal and business distractions, not just the competition, to get them to pay attention to you.




    Dan
    Signature

    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9789875].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author kirbymarketingconcierge
      Originally Posted by bizgrower View Post

      I was kind of thinking about this as I was sitting in a restaurant last night watching sports on their big screen TV.

      I was exhausted from the past ten days of having 100% occupancy at the hotel during the holidays,
      so my mind was very unfocused. I was relaxing, getting distracted by all the noise in the place, the game, business problems...Then some advertisements came on.

      One was for a car, the next for a beer, the next for a shaving razor... It made me wonder how you get through all the varying distractions to get them to pay attention to you.
      I would have a, peyton manning, of the denver broncos "Look a Like",

      running through the airport, then to a hotel....

      would that get Your Attention!!!?


      Happy new year Bizgrower!
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9789889].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
        Originally Posted by kirbymarketingconcierge View Post

        I would have a, peyton manning, of the denver broncos "Look a Like",

        running through the airport, then to a hotel....

        would that get Your Attention!!!?


        Happy new year Bizgrower!


        Happy New Year, Kirby and everybody else!

        Funny you should mention Peyton (He's way over mentioned on our local news).
        One ad I saw last night was him just puttering around the house, humming the
        jingle for the insurance company (Nationwide?) he represents. That's the entire ad, then
        their logo and contact information. Kind of different.



        Dan
        Signature

        "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9789916].message }}

Trending Topics