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Target Market Research

• Speak with members of your target market, including existing customers. Look at the requests people make, the questions they ask, and their complaints.

 
2. Public Information

• Visit online groups, blogs and forums that are geared to your target market. People tend to tell total strangers things that they wouldn't otherwise say.

Do you know the difference between marketing and sales?

Do you know the one key to being successful at both?

If not, then read on...

There are many definitions of marketing, but the one I like best is by Ann Sieg, author of Attraction Marketer's Manifesto, The 7 Great Lies of Network Marketing and The Renegade Network Marketer.

Ann Sieg says marketing is is what you do to attract qualified prospects, and sales is what you do to close the deal and build relationships with people.

In other words, the definition of marketing is everything you do to reach and persuade prospects to give you a chance to sell them. Sales is what you do to close the sale and get a signed agreement or contract.

If you think about it, the sales person would have no one to sell to if it weren't for the marketer.

If you are doing business online, it is the same idea.

The marketer's job is to drive people (or traffic) to the website. Once there, you want them to take an action -- maybe fill out a form requesting more information, subscribe to your mailing list, or buy a product. 

The sales person is the one who forms a relationship with the prospects and closes the deal. You might have their contact information such as a phone number so you can personally call them and follow up. You might have their physical mailing address so you can send them a personal card. Or you might just have their email address, in which case you want to send them compelling and information-packed emails.

Of course, if it is your own business, you are probably wearing both hats -- you are both the salesperson and the marketer.

So what is the key to being good at both marketing and sales?

Good marketers and sales people have one thing in common: they both begin by putting their prospects first. In fact, they take it one step further and really get into the hearts and minds of their customers.

For any marketing or sales message to be compelling, it must go beyond the rational, logical thinking and strike the right emotional chord.

Typically, far too much emphasis is put on the product, and far too little on the person doing the buying. What are their hot buttons, their core emotional desires?
 

 Keep two important principles in mind:

1. People buy with their emotions and justify with logic.
2. People rarely buy because of features. They mostly buy because of benefits. 

So before you start rattling off a bunch of facts or features, ask yourself, "so what?" Put yourself in their shoes. What does it mean to them specifically and how will it benefit them?

How will this knowledge benefit you? It won't unless you learn from it and apply it. Learn how to identify and attract your ideal niche. Get your free copy of my report, "Ten Steps to finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche".

To your success!