Marketing Lesson Excerpt

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This page contains an excerpt from a great marketing resource. This page is an example of how marketing is de-mystified by this resource by Robert Middleton.

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Marketing Tactics: A Seven-Step Model

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In looking over my eZines for the past few months I noticed I've

covered a whole raft of topics related to the *Mindset* of marketing

yourself: Paradigms, perspectives, fearlessness, tr ust, risk, etc. All of

these are incredibly important.

But so are marketing tactics.

So for a few issues I'm going to be sharing some of the most

effective marketing tactics that I've learned over the years.

What exactly is a marketing tactic?

My best definition is: "A marketing tactic is any activity that creates

a connection between you and a prospective client, which moves

them closer to doing business with you."

If we look at the big picture of how a prospect actually becomes a

client, the following seven-step model is very useful:

1. Strangers

You want to approach a prospect, but you don't know them and they

don't know you. Marketing to s tr angers usually means s tr uggle and

rejection. That's why the first set of marketing tactics are to form

affiliations with those who are currently strangers.

2. Affiliation

You create affiliations or connections with prospects by joining

organizations, associations and groups. Through this simple affiliation,

you're no longer a complete stranger. Tactics that get the attention

of those you've affiliated with come next.

3. Attention

Attention is gained through communication, either verbal or written.

What you say must both hit a nerve and offer some hope. Once you

have attention, you apply tactics that are designed to build some

trust by increasing your "familiarity quotient."

4. Familiarity

Visibility leads to familiarity. Wouldn't you rather do business with

someone you've met face-to-face or, at minimum, heard about

favorably? The next tactics to implement are ones that inform your

prospects about the many ways you can help them.

5. Information

Information can come in myriad formats: One-pagers, brochures, web

sites, articles, reports, and CDs. Value-laden is the key. Prospects

who respond to your information are now ready for tactics designed

to give them a deeper experience of you and your services.

6. Experience

Presentations and talks, teleclasses, and a regular eZine can all

deepen the experience prospects have of you. Trust and credibility

build. The final set of tactics complete the marketing process by

initiating appointments to explore working together.

7. Appointment

Follow-up isn't hard if your prospects already have a favorable

experience of what your services can do for them. Once you're

meeting belly-to-belly, then a whole new process begins: Selling.

(More about that in a future series.)

These seven steps concisely outline how the marketing process

actually works. Want more detail? Okey dokey.

Starting with this issue of More Clients (and continuing with five

more), I'll be covering each step in depth. The first step is, perhaps,

the easiest.

From Stranger to Affiliation

One of the most frequent questions I hear is, "How do I get an

appointment with a top decision-maker in a company?" My answer:

"You can't get there from here!"

You don't go from stranger to appointment as your first marketing

step. After all, do you eagerly wait for phone calls from strangers

who want some of your valuable time? Don't you want to get rid of

them as fast as you possibly can?

Instead, you go from stranger to affiliation. An affiliation is any

meaningful connection between you and a prospect. An affiliation

adds a smidgen of trust. An affiliation opens the door a crack.

The fastest way to build affiliations with prospects is amazingly easy:

Join organizations, associations and groups. You can be immediately

affiliated with hundreds (or even thousands) of people by simply

writing a check for your membership dues.

This first tactic sets the foundation for everything to follow; seek out

groups whose members either consist of prospective clients, or those

who could refer you to them.

These organizations include, (but are not limited to):

Chambers of commerce

Professional organizations

Business associations

Alumni groups or clubs

Networking or leads groups

Charitable organizations

Online communities like Ryze or Linked In

Groups within your religious denomination

Women's groups; Men's groups

Hobby/Interest groups (gardening/writing/bicycling, etc.)

Country clubs; health clubs

America is a country of associations. People like to mingle with

others who share similar interests and passions. Despite the Internet,

people love to congregate in person. Always have, always will.

So implementing this tactic is a cinch. There are literally hundreds of

thousands of groups out there waiting for you to join them. It just

takes two steps:

1. Start searching for groups. Talk to your friends and associates,

look in the business calendar section of your daily paper, visit the

library, and check Google under your geographic area. They are out

there waiting for you to discover them.

2. Call one organization at a time. Find out about their next meeting,

and go and check them out. Don't join yet. Chemistry, as in

relationships, is also important in groups. If attending feels good, go

again. If you feel the group is a fit after three connections, then join.

That's it. You've initiated the process of moving prospects from

Stranger to Affiliation. Next week we'll explore the key tactics for

getting the attention of prospects in these various organizations.

This page contains information that Robert Middleton includes in his powerful marketing ezine. Take a look. You will notice, at a glance, how practical and effective this type of information can be to you and your business.