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Why You Should Always Keep Your Marketing Hat On.

Guest post by: Terri Levine

Article Overview: Why marketing isn't just a 9 to 5 activity.

Why You Should Always Keep Your Marketing Hat On.

Marketing isn't something you do when you put a special hat on between certain hours of the day or attend certain events... marketing is something we are involved in almost every day regardless of place or time. We are not just marketing our businesses, trying to sell our products and services, we are marketing ourselves and our ideas and trying to sell those, and ourselves, to others - trying to get them on our side and see things our way. All experienced marketers recognize there are five main reasons why your marketing efforts fall flat and you fail to make the sale. These are:

1. Your potential customer is not interested in what you are selling - he has absolutely no desire to even know about your product or service, let alone buy it. (Realize this might be a timing thing... he might not be interested today, but what about tomorrow?)

2. He has no money, so even if he wanted to buy what you are selling, he can't because he can't afford it. (He might not be able to afford it today, but again, what about tomorrow?)

3. He doesn't need what you are selling - maybe he already has one or doesn't have the type of lifestyle that would use it. Maybe to him it is a "luxury" item and he is a frugal type... (I repeat: maybe he has no need today, but what about tomorrow?)

4. He doesn't want to buy from you because he doesn't trust you. This may or may not be personal; maybe he has had bad experiences in the past, or maybe it really is personal. (You must be authentic, honest, and not appear over eager or pushy. Detach yourself from the outcome. Aim to be helpful and forget the sale. If it is going to happen, it will happen but if you try and force it you will lose this sale and any potential sales from this person. First you must sell yourself.)

What you need to remember is people will always buy when they really do want or need to buy what you are selling... and so the reason you want to introduce yourself anyway, and 'market' yourself is when they are ready to buy, you want them to come to you for that purchase.

Maybe your product isn't something they're in the market for, but you know somebody else who can help them. It will serve you better to refer your potential customer to the other company and help them get what they really want, rather than try to talk them around to using your company instead.

Nobody likes a pushy sales person and you will turn them off ever doing business with you, but if you are helpful and are proving you have their best interests at heart, not only will they come to you when they are in the market for what you are offering, but they will remember you and refer others to you.

So remember, even if you recognize you are not going to get yourself a new customer "this time", market yourself in the best light possible anyway, because there is always tomorrow!

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Article Tags: entrepreneur, marketing, sales, selling, small business



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