Internet Marketing

Smart selling tactics (part 1 of 2)

Hard selling no longer works. Don’t try it and don’t waste your time on it. Ads are everywhere – when you open your newspaper, switch on your computer or TV, when you are walking down the street and in your mail (electronic or otherwise). People are now oblivious to ads and no longer respond to them, unless the ad is extraordinarily creative and provokes interest. Coming up with one of those is nearly impossible for the online businessperson, because they take time and are, frankly, not at all easy.

So what can you do? Switch to smart selling tactics. Attack your customers in different ways; advertise without advertising!

1. Sharing is caring –Share some knowledge and build up a relationship with people. This can be through social media, blogs, forums, your own website etc. Make those things into interesting places which people like to come to for advice or information. Make your products visible on these locations but do not hard sell. Let them be there in “oh by the way I have these things too if you are interested” sort of way. As you build up a loyal set of followers they will notice the products you are selling. If you have built up a decent level of trust, your sales will start coming in.
2. You’re the one that I want! – Who are you selling to and who do you want to sell to? These are very important questions. The first evaluates who your current market is and the second defines who your market should be. Sometimes you may find that your current set of customers isn’t who you think they are. In this case, it may be time to re-evaluate your approach. There is no point selling an Xbox, for example, with sales copy like “a clever little device that will keep your evenings filled with entertainment”.Unless you are trying to sell to grandparents, this is the wrong approach. Tailor your sales copy to interest your target market and avoid the hard sell angle.