Media
Room

February/March 2008 newsletter article

In The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes, the author presents a compelling case for education-based marketing. He describes the concept as follows:

"About 3 percent of potential buyers at any given time are buying now. Right now...My research further concludes that 7 percent of the population is open to the idea of buying...The remaining 90 percent fall into one of three equal categories. The top third are what I call 'not thinking about it.'...The next third are what I call 'think they're not interested.'...And then the final third are what I call 'definitely not interested.'...

"If you walk out there and say, 'I'm here to tell you why we have the greatest office equipment in the world,' you're going to have 90 percent of the audience get up and leave.'...

"What can you write...that would appeal to the entire pyramid of potential buyers?...If you're a little strategic, you might go with something like 'The Five Ways Our Office Equipment can Benefit You.' Again, an approach like this appeals only to those who are 'buying now,' and possibly those who are 'open to it,' but pretty much 90 percent of your audience is leaving.

"So what title would have broader appeal? How about 'The Five Ways You're Wasting Money in Your Operations and Administration'? I'm not saying this is going to rivet the executives to their chairs, but they're not leaving either. They'll stay to hear a little more...

"The hardest thing we need to do today is grab the attention of potential buyers and keep their attention long enough to help them buy your product. I call this 'education-based marketing,' and here's a line you should write down: you will attract way more buyers if you are offering to teach them something of value to them than you will ever attract by simply trying to sell them your product or service."