Small Business Marketing and Selling Today

Marketing & Sales Meet at the Customer

Today marks the release of John Jantsch’s new book – Duct Tape Selling.   As I’m working my way through the book I find a lot of great ideas, tips, tools and resources for small business marketers, small business owners and anyone involved in growing a business.  From a small business marketing perspective the chapters that really resonate with me are Chapters 3 (Define Leads) and 4 (Finding Your Value Proposition).  These chapters are about where Marketing & Sales meet – at the point of getting, keeping and growing a happy and loyal customer base. 

Just think about it, in any context of your life – personal or professional – do you like being “sold” to?  Isn’t it better when the “sales” person is educating you and helping you find a solution to the challenge you’re facing instead of pushing features and functions at you?  Aren’t those the experiences you recommend and refer positively?  How do you refer to the experiences that aren’t like this?

That is a lot of what this book is about – in a world (insert movie announcer voice here) where customers research their purchase WAY before they ever engage a sales person, the sales person is now a guide, not an interrupter.  The most successful companies are those building relationships based on identifying who their ideal customers are and then working with those (and only those if at all possible) to solve their challenges.  Those are the customers that refer new business to you.

How well is your marketing, sales and referral process working for you in growing your business?  What is one thing you could do this week to improve it?