When I sit down with a business owner for the first time, I always ask them what marketing activities they have tried to date. Whether they explain it to me or show me examples, they will often feel like their marketing hasn’t worked.
“We did trade shows, but that didn’t get us a single customer.”
“We tried direct mail and that didn’t work.”
“I’m on Twitter, but that doesn’t get me any business, it’s a waste of time.”
All of the above are what I like to call marketing vehicles: trade shows, direct mail, and Twitter, to be exact. Do these vehicles work? Of course they do. Google them and you’ll find success stories tied to any marketing vehicle. So how come they don’t seem to work for you? It could be because you’re going for the jugular. In other words, you’re trying to go straight to the sale instead of just engaging a potential customer to take the next step.
If you have a low-risk, low-price product or service, you’ll probably find some success with jugular marketing, but if you’re marketing something that requires the prospect to trust you or the product, you need to re-look at WHAT you’re saying. or by making it into a marketing vehicle, rather than changing the marketing vehicle itself.
An example of Jugular Marketing is SobeSportsClub(dot)net
Imagine that you are single and a member of the opposite sex approaches you on a night out. The conversation goes something like this. Hi, my name is (LOGO). Let me say that again (because it takes up 1/3 of the ad, so it must be important). I have a lot of amazing qualities that you would love about me (they are all listed here in bullet points).
There is no reason for me to act today and frankly I am not looking for many of these attributes in a gym. But what if you focus the ad more on the buyer than on yourself? What if you made it easier and less risky for me to take the next step? So the ad might look more like the one Gold’sGymCanada(dot)com has.
If we were back in that social situation, this might amount to: “Looks like you might want some company and obviously enjoy places like this (after all, the headline shows you understand me and highlights an important motivator for me). I’m having a meeting somewhere else like this (some key features and complimentary VIP pass) It’s next Wednesday (time limit) If you’d like to come and get to know each other better, check out the details (drives to more information and a location where they can act easily and with minimal risk).”
Which would make it easier for you to act? The latter allows Gold’s Gym to attract more prospects. It allows them to better measure the effectiveness of the message and the tool (VIP pass) they are using. But most importantly, it allows the prospect to try them at no cost.
The next time you’re looking to execute that marketing tactic, avoid jugular marketing. Try to capture leads instead of going straight to that sale.
