Chapter 5
Let's Market a Deal
Getting ready to get ready gets you nowhere. It's organization and follow-through that get results.
—H. James Zinger
Webster defines marketing as “the ability to attract a buyer if offered for sale.” What exactly is it you are trying to sell—a service, a product, a concept, or an idea? Whatever it is, it's up to you to attract the buyer.
I think this is the most exciting and fun part of our job.
Marketing involves knowledge . . . of your product, market, and competition. Once you've learned everything you can about these three areas, you can identify the tools necessary to separate yourself from the pack. One way to separate yourself from the pack is to look for business in all the wrong places and leave no “store” unturned. Here's an example.
Close Encounter
Running errands on a weekend afternoon, I stood in line at my neighborhood FedEx store, dressed casually in sweatpants and wearing no makeup. Waiting to pay, I couldn't help but notice the letterhead on the paperwork of the gentleman standing in front of me, which read, “Minnesota Hospice Organization Annual Convention.”
My first thought was, “What a great potential speaking opportunity.” I wanted to introduce myself, but my second thought was that I wasn't dressed professionally and it was a Sunday afternoon; maybe he didn't want to be bothered. So I asked myself the question that drives my ability to close deals: “What is the worst thing that can happen to me here?”
The worst thing that could ...
