Attracting Buyers Instead of Sellers

The latest "hot button" on my radio show is the importance of attracting buyers and not sellers in your marketing. It seems like a "no brainer," after all, no one purposefully seeks people who want to sell to them, they want to find people who want to make a purchase. Ironically, their marketing often has the exact opposite effect.

How does that happen? It is really quite simple. Every day, business people are eagerly developing slick radio, print, TV, and web ads with the intention of attracting new customers. The car dealer who is hoping to snag a few customers, the home builder developing a new subdivision, or the accountant wanting to help more businesses with their taxes. All with smart intentions, but they often suffer the wrong results.

When they write these ads they fill them with broad hyperbole that says little about the company, bore potential customers with songs they don't want to hear, or make claims that every other company can boast (you are open FIVE DAYS A WEEK? What a concept!).

Meanwhile there are untold numbers of account executives who are in desperate need of customers. There has been a major shift as to where people go for their news and information and most in media sales can't keep up with the changes. They are losing customers faster than they are gaining them.

So while the rest of us shun print advertisements, clever radio spots, TV ads, and other propaganda. These account executives often look for such content exclusively. They will spin their radios away from their favorite songs if they think there is a potential buyer -- that could be you -- out there waiting for them to call. Just think, spending thousands on an advertisement that solicits other advertisement sales people.

So what can buyers do differently? They can emphasize their differences with other companies by shying away from price competitive approaches and focusing on the things that separate them from the pack. They can position themselves as the expert and instead of placing their content where people don't watch, read, or listen, but where such gets attention. This form of sophisticated marketing makes a major difference in a company's performance.

So it is time to ask the question, is your marketing working for you or is it merely attracting more sales people? We want to help you answer that question in a new audio program available at no cost by emailing info@houstonbusinessshow.com and put "marketing" in the subject line.

Kevin Price is Host of the Houston Business Show (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at HoustonBusinessShow.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.