Stupid Marketing Tricks Part III - The Unrealistic Marketing Plan

As promised I am going to discuss how an effective marketing plan is developed. We must start the discussion by asking what might at first glance appear to be a silly question.

This question is so basic to one's ultimate success that most people never stop to ask this question when attempting to take a product or service to market. This is why most people fail.

This question is so basic that it is easily pushed out of consciousness and is frankly often never asked.

Yet it is hands down the most important question one could ever ask.

Are you ready for the question? Get a pencil and some paper.

This question will be developed in three distinct steps. Ready? Ok, here goes.

Step One: Write down the name of your product or service

Step Two: Put a question mark AFTER the name of your product or service

Step Three: Before the name of your product or service, write the words 'DO PEOPLE NEED'

Now you have a question. It should look like this:

DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?

Now answer the question. And don't laugh. This is not the time for laughing - this is the time for brutal honesty.

I spend all day talking to people who are having a difficult time marketing their product or service. They have gone to all the trouble to set up a website, print up brochures, put together mailing lists, sent out direct mail, posted ads, sent press releases, done blog tours, developed newsletters, joined associations, put together affiliate programs, blah, blah, blah, blah on and on and on and guess what? No or low sales.

They then ask me why, after doing all of this, there are no sales. There are no sales because they forgot to ask the most important question:

DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?

This is not funny. You see, we get so excited about developing and marketing our product or service that we forget to ask if anyone actually needs the thing.

When I say 'need', I mean need. Not want. Want is different. The entire approach will change when one needs something versus wants something. The entire game, the whole approach, is different.

Need means the prospect will die without it. It means they will suffer terrible consequences if they do not have it. Need items are items such as food, clothing, shelter, air, water etc. Some needs are legislated (auto insurance) etc. Need means need. Must have. No way out of it.

If people NEED this product or service, the potential market is a given. The approach then is to advertise, market or publicize the fact that your product or service meets the NEED better than the product or service of the competition. People recognize the NEED for your product or service; you do not have to 'talk them' into it. It is a given.

Once you have determined that people NEED this product or service, then you must simply take the steps to define WHO needs the product or service. This is the second step. Let's not go there yet.

WANT

If people do not NEED your product or service, but rather simply WANT it, then you must attempt to elevate their WANT to the status of a NEED.

One of the primary mistakes those new to marketing make is that they assume everyone NEEDS their product or service when in fact they do not.

You may believe people NEED your item. This will not cause them to buy your item. What will cause them to buy your item is when THEY RECOGNIZE they NEED that item. This is accomplished by elevating their WANT to the status of a NEED in their mind.

See how this works? It's basic. So basic, in fact, that we forget to do it.

Do not fool yourself. Be brutally honest. Look at this from an outside perspective and ask yourself if people actually NEED this product or service. The answer to this question will form the basis of the entire approach of a successful marketing plan.

People do not NEED toys. They do not NEED gadgets. They do not NEED books. What they WANT is the enjoyment the toy might bring. What they WANT is the reduction in stress a gadget might provide. What they WANT is the information in the book.

Selling to satisfy a NEED is not easier than selling to satisfy a WANT. It is simply a completely different approach. Do NOT fool yourself into thinking that people need your item when, in fact, they do not. If you fool yourself, you will end up wasting a great deal of time and money.

Trying to sell your product or service without asking 'DO PEOPLE NEED (NAME)?' is a really stupid marketing trick . . .

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