Here are some notes I’ve been taking from the book UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. If you are interested in purchasing this book from Amazon please use the above or below links, as I will earn a (tiny) commission.
The author, Scott Stratten, defines “Unmarketing” as “the ability to engage with your market.” There are some great snippets of wisdom here.
“If you believe business is built on relationships, make building them your business.”
Stratten encourages entrepreneurs to be authentic.
“Focus on what you uniquely bring to the table.”
“If you are your authentic self, you have no competition.”
He describes the hierarchy of buying as having the following levels:
- Current satisfied customer.
- Referral by trusted source
- Current relationship but have yet to purchase
- Recognized expert in the field
- Random searches through ads
- Cold calls.
If you are a customer, ready to make a purchase, you are more likely to purchase from someone at the top of the list than from someone at the bottom. The top starts with a business that you are already satisfied with. The bottom, least likely source, would be a cold call from a stranger you have no relationship with, who interrupts you to ask for your business.
If you are spending time and money marketing to people, it would be in your interest to start with position 4 (becoming an expert in your field), and then work your way into moving up to position 1.
Most people don’t do this however, because it takes time to become an expert. It then takes more time to develop a relationship with your potential customer and become a trusted resource, before finally getting the sale. So they take the shortcut. They try to win sales from ads and cold calling that have much lower yield rates.
Are you in your business for the long haul? If so, are your marketing efforts focused on moving up the ladder? Or are you sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the easy kill?