They Ask, You Answer, 2nd Edition

27 Assignment Selling

Often, when businesses embrace content marketing and They Ask, You Answer, the tendency is to think: “OK, I’m just going to post this on my site and great things are going to happen!”

Unfortunately, publishing content on your site simply is not enough. You can’t just passively post content on your website or social media channels and expect it to work its magic. You must find ways to help your prospects and customers read and view your content if you’re going to move the needle. Furthermore, you can’t be passive about this, and you can’t just leave it up to chance.

The process of actively using your content in the sales process is what I’ve dubbed “assignment selling.”

To help you catch the vision that is assignment selling, we’ll again use swimming pools as an example. But before we go any further, let me explain what I’m talking about when I use the phrase “assignment selling.”

I define assignment selling as:

• The process of intentionally using information:
  • Which you have created via text, video, or audio.
  • That is educational about your products and/or services.
  • With the purpose of resolving the major concerns and questions of prospects so they are dramatically more prepared for a sales appointment—or multiple sales appointments.

I reference assignment selling as something necessary to do before and during the sales process.

An Example of Assignment Selling in Action

As you read the following, I don’t want you to think you have to apply this to ...