The 5 Business Functions Most Brands Get Wrong…

Almost all brands get the following 5 business functions wrong:

1. Marketing;
2. Qualifying;
3. Selling;
4. Pitching; and
5. Closing.

In this article I will:

1. Define each of those functions; and
2. Explain in simple terms how to do them correctly for maximum effect.

Let’s get into it…

Marketing

Marketing is the act of value creation:

1. Defining customers;
2. Defining customer problems;
3. Solving customer problems;
4. Finding customers; and
5. Generating attention and awareness in those customers.

Let’s look closer at each of these…

Defining customers

Defining customers is about determining who your ideal customer is.

That person is anyone who:

1. Knows they have a problem;
2. Knows there are solutions:
3. Has tried other solutions;
4. Is not happy with the results of those solutions;
5. Knows you have an alternative solution;
6. Believes your solution works;
7. Believes your solution is the best available (because it is different);
8. Believes your solution will work for them;
9. Believes that money, time and effort, judgement, self-perception etc are not hurdles; and
10. Has not “bought” your solution yet.

The next best ideal customer is all of the above, minus the 10th attribute.

The 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th 10th, 11th best ideal customer is all of the above, minus the last 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 attributes.

Defining customer problems

Defining customer problems is about determining:

1. Where your ideal customer is currently psychologically and behaviourally;
2. Where your ideal customer wants to be in the future; and
3. What will happen if your ideal customer doesn’t get there.

Solving customer problems

Solving customer problems is about determining how you will add value to your ideal customer.

This comes in the form of helping your ideal customer get from where they are currently to where they want to be in the future.

This can be communicated through content that covers:

1. Defining customers;
2. Defining customer problems; and
3. Solving customer problems.

Content is consumable information that is expressed through any medium.

Content needs to do several things:

1. Gets your ideal customers attention and make a promise with bait that interrupts their thought or behaviour pattern;
2. Gets your ideal customers interest by giving context to an offer/solution;
3. Gets your ideal customer to desire an offer; and
4. Gets your ideal customer to take action by making a request.

And it is worth creating content that has the ability to be remarkable enough that it can move from your owned and paid channels to earned channels.

Finding customers

Finding customers begins with deciding if you will use distribution channels and medai that are:

1. Paid;
2. Earned; or
3. Owned…

Specifically, you need to determine where your ideal customer is geographically (not only physically, but also digitally), where there are more than 1 of these ideal customers, that is cheap, quick and easily reachable):

1. If you decided to use owned channels, you may consider how you could boost its organic reach to spread to more of your ideal customers by crossing to earned channels;
2. If you decided to use paid channels (either a platform or a gatekeeper on a platform), you need to select the targeting criteria you will use to reach your ideal customer via either of these;
3. If you decided to use earned channels, you need to again select the targeting criteria you will use to reach your ideal customer via either of these.

You also need to think about how you will add value to paid and earned channels that will allow you to ultimately get attention and awareness from your ideal customer:

1. If you decided to use paid channels (either a platform or a gatekeeper on a platform), you will add value in the form monetary payment.
2. If you decided to use earned or owned channels, you will likely add value by way of gifts or favours, but there are always a million-and-one other creative ways! Gifts or favours can also be providing content.

Earned channels require you to do outreach and business development which leads to generating attention and awareness…

Generating attention and awareness

Generating attention and awareness is about distributing content:

1. If you decided to use owned channels, then you distribute your content through those channels you own or control;
2. If you decided to use paid channels on a platform, then you need to create ads (for content) and match that content the relevant targeting criteria you selected and make a monetary payment; and
3. If you decided to use paid channels with a gatekeeper on a platform or earned channels, then you need to give the gatekeeper content guidelines so they can match it with their brand and distribute, and again make a monetary payment.

Content:

1. Qualifies your ideal customer (and disqualifier those who are not your ideal customer); and
2. Sells your ideal customer (not in the way you think it is defined — more on that shortly).

Let me define those two terms, and a few others for you…

Qualifying

Qualifying is the act of determining suitability to sell, pitch and close someone.

Doing so generates a lead.

This is done through a Sales Funnel or a Setter who ask questions.

Selling

Selling is the act of changing someone’s belief (particularly an objection), or beliefs (objections), to cause a buying decision.

Notice I didn’t say purchase.

Buying is simply accepting the truth of a statement.

Purchase is the exchange of money.

Sales/selling isn’t all about exchanging a product, service or solution for money.

Effective sales/selling triggers emotional reasons to buy and is best presented through story.

This is done through content (a form of Sales Script) or Salesperson who defines the problem, agitates the problem, explains the situation perhaps using case studies and testimonials.

Your content (at least 3 pieces) should “sell” (change your ideal customer belief) so they “buy” (accept the truth) that:

1. They have a problem; or
2. Solutions exist; or
3. Your solution exists.

Pitching

Pitching is the act of presenting an offer/solution, which could be a product or service.

This is what most people think is sales/selling.

It is generally a bid to obtain a contract or other business.

An offer is a promise of providing solution with certain terms and conditions.

This is done through a Pitch (a form of Sales Script) by a Salesperson who states the solution name, the offer components, the offer features, benefits and advantages, bonuses and guarantees.

Similar to content, your pitch:

1. Gets your ideal customers attention and makes a promise with bait that interrupt their thought or behaviour pattern;
2. Gets your ideal customers interest by giving context to an offer/solution;
3. Gets your ideal customer to desire an offer; and
4. Gets your ideal customer to take action by making a request.

Your pitch should include some of the content you created previously as context and introduction:

1. They have a problem;
2. Solutions exist; and
3. Your solution exists.

As well as adding:

1. Your solution works;
2. Your solution is the best available (because it is different);
3. Your solution will work for them whereas others failed; and
4. Money, time and effort, judgement, self-perception etc are not hurdles.

Close/Closing

Closing is the act of logically convincing someone to buy and requesting them to act on the offer with urgency.

The logical argument is to strengthen your pitch, overcoming objections and prevent buyer’s remorse.

This is done through a Closer who uses trial closes, translates the offers value, justifies and summarises it and paces the future.

Buying is accepting the truth of the selling, pitching and closing statements and taking action on them.

Doing so converts a lead into a customer.

What this all means is:

1. If you decided to use owned channels, then you distribute your pitch through those you own or control;
2. If you decided to use paid channels on a platform, then you need to create ads (now for a pitch) and match that content the relevant targeting criteria and make a monetary payment; and
3. If you decided to use paid channels with a gatekeeper on a platform or earned channels, then you need to give them pitch guidelines so they can match it with their brand and again make a monetary payment.

Then you repeat everything from Generating attention and awareness…