Marketing's Most Important Tenet!

I’m getting ready for a seminar in November. As I review marketing and success strategies to help farms and farmers reach their goals, I thought I’d send out a reminder to all of you to keep marketing’s first principle in mind.

Marketing is not about you! It’s not about your stuff! (not yet)

Marketing is about the customer!

Every time you talk about your animals and your products and your farm, you are missing an opportunity to catch customers. They’re bombarded by marketing messages all day long. Studies tell us that 3000 marketing messages are aimed at every person, every day. They’re resistant. They’ve built a shell. They’re not receptive to your message. They do not care about your stuff. They only care about how they feel and the issues of their own lives—not yours.

So when you talk about your stuff they never hear you. If they notice your message at all, they’re saying, ”Who cares that you have something for sale.” When you talk about your selves, your farm, your animals, your products, you’re only talking to make yourselves feel better. As marketing, it’s pointless, because customers are not listening..

To break through the shell you must make your message relevant to that customer’s life. Put him –his hopes his dreams, the solutions to his problems or worries, what’s important to him—at the forefront of your message. Then he’ll notice.

Not: “We’re offering this ______ for sale.”
But: “You’ll knit softer sweaters with this super fiber.”
Or: “Your family will be healthier with your own raw milk.”
Or: “Turn heads in this stunning outfit.”
Or: “Enjoy the prestige of these famous genetics at your farm.”

In each example, the customer is the beginning of the message. He’ll hear you then. Go ahead, when you’re working on your marketing—in writing or in person. Write in down in your usual headline or the way you normally talk. Now, ask yourself this: who is this about? If it’s about you or your stuff, you need to get inside your customer’s head and talk first about what’s important to him. Once you’ve done that you can tell him WHY it makes his life better and then talk about the highpoints of your stuff. But put the customer first or he’ll never read further or listen further.

Much more help with learning marketing’s first principle found in my books, http://beyondthesidewalk.com Invest in your farm and your success!