Marketing & Sales, a symbiotic relationship

Marketing and sales are a pair of complex beasts, like ostriches and zebras. These wild animals enjoy a true symbiotic relationship – just like marketing and sales. Although each could survive on its own, they are both more powerful and safer together. Neither zebras nor ostriches are fast runners, at least not fast enough to avoid common predators, so they must always be on the alert for danger. Zebras have great eye sight, ostriches have a keen sense of smell, so they group together for mutual protection.

Sales and marketing can occur without the other, but survival is tenuous. There are few things more frustrating than to put time and effort into bringing your service to market, but not being able to make sales. A sale can happen out of the blue, but without knowing how to do it again, you're left happily scratching your head.

Never, never, never, underestimate the importance of the famous cliché – SELL BENEFITS NOT FEATURES. If you don't know what in the world that means, and you're in business – find out.

Here are a few things I discovered about marketing to men or women:

Are you marketing to women? Here are some psychological triggers or WHY a woman would buy from you, that you can use in your marketing to increase conversions:

• To belong or be relevant
• To be right or not wrong
• To fulfill one of the four basic needs: Relationship, wealth, happiness, spirituality
• To have security
• For memories or loyalty

If you want to make advertise to men in their 50’s, what emotional marketing strategies would you use?

If you said “scare them senseless,” you would be right. Marketing to men in their 50’s is best done by frightening them, because they feel so responsible for their families.

How about marketing to men in their 20/30’s?

You would use the emotional branding strategy of shaming them into buying your product. Peer-pressure is very strong with this group, and that can be used to really make your brand more than just a service or product.

As you can see, emotional branding can be used in just about every situation where you are marketing to men or women, so get out there and figure out what motivates your customers. But remember, if you’re not solving a problem or showing your audience “what’s in it for them” then you’re losing their interest straight away.