Influencing Prospects Through Value-Based Marketing

Recently I have had the pleasure of reading several good articles and posts about the ever challenging need to pique the interest of client prospects. Of course the first step is making sure the prospect is just that… a true potential client that fits the mold of needing what your business delivers as well as a host of other criteria you should have.

But the real issue to discuss in this post is in providing the influence needed to put a lead into a marketing conversation, then into a sales conversation.




Influence was the main subject of these publications and it is the crux of turning a good lead into a sale opportunity. Beyond getting past the fear many have in regards to marketing as well as the need to have a clear plan from start to finish in a campaign while believing that you are the best company for the job at hand, influencing a prospect based on value is the key.

Everyone knows that value driven services are important, but not everyone does a good job of portraying the value their business brings to the table. Most just use the word value in hopes it makes a difference. It doesn’t. And it’s just plain overused such as the words solution, full-service, experience, certified, etc. If you are just going to say it and not provide proof, there is no value in these words.

Communicating the value in your marketing is what you are striving for as it truly is the most influential piece in marketing. It’s important in both the written and spoken words revolving around your business.

So how do you do it? Good question.

Let’s take your company 30 second elevator speech for example. If you tell someone that you provide X, Y, and Z benefits for a particular target market(s), that’s a great start. If it piques their interest they will tell you they are interested. Now you can deliver the value-based influence by telling a story about a particular client you worked with including the challenges they faced and how your business helped them out. And that story has even more value if it relates directly to the type of business this prospect is in and/or hits upon a challenge they have mentioned to you in conversation.

How about with your website headers? If you searched the web for a company that supplied networking design, installation and support in your local area with experience in your industry and opened up the link, which one of these would keep you reading if it was the first thing you saw:

“We have 30 years combined experience to help with your business networking needs. Our solutions include setting up from scratch or redesigning to optimizing or securing an existing network. We We We blah blah blah”

Or

“Turn Your Underperforming (Industry Specific) Business Network into a Powerful, Productive, Profit Driving Tool”

Not only is the first option boring and talking too much about them versus the prospect, it doesn’t catch attention, it’s pretty close to a mirror image of everyone else in a 50 mile radius that has the same experience, and it delivers no value. I don’t know about you, but as a business owner having network problems option 2 will get me reading further to see what they have to offer.

As another example, publishing and providing articles/blog posts in one form or another is another great way to deliver value. If you can answer burning questions via this media you delivered value twice. First in having it out there to be found by someone searching for it as well as having it available to be handed/sent to someone you have intently listened to and realized you have information that can help them.

Can you really get more influential than that? Actually you can by you or someone in your company delivering educational talks and discussions. If someone attends one of these events they are looking for answers to questions you identified will be discussed. They are prime targets expecting value whether they paid to be there or not. Not only are they being influenced as to the value your business delivers via the information given to them, but they see your business in action.

The bottom line is that the value is in listening to and understanding a prime prospects needs and showing proof that your business is the answer to the problem. Communicating that kind of value provides the influence needed to keep a prospect moving through the marketing process and into the sales funnel.

I’m sure I mentioned this before, but if you want to read more specifically about influence and marketing, I suggest picking up any book written or co-authored by Robert Cialdini.


To Your Business Success-

George Sierchio
The Consultant’s Coach

Is Time Management or Fear Slowing You Down?

During the SMB Nation East conference this past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to a number of people. With a few of them, I kept hearing a common theme of thinking they thought they had a time management issue causing them problems in getting things done.

But it really wasn’t quite the issue for any of them as I listened to their stories.





Most of them were not too bad with utilizing the basic principles of time management. Meaning for the most part a to-do or task list was put into a calendar schedule. Some didn’t grasp the notion of blocking time out and sticking to it. But the problems of not getting things done went beyond that.

The common thing I kept hearing as I asked them questions was that it was a few particular items that were always getting pushed. Those same items that pretty much never come off of a to-do list until it’s a do or die situation. And all of them in my conversations were “working on the business” items if you didn’t see that coming.

When placing these items into a schedule doesn’t get them done, either enough time to complete is not being given so human nature says “I can’t finish so skip it” or the schedule is not stopping the most likely subconscious procrastination. The reason for this desire to procrastinate on these subjects usual, as in these people’s cases, has a root of not really knowing HOW to accomplish these items.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this signals an excellent time to admit you need some help. Sometimes it’s just a matter of assistance in mapping something out or a little bit of education to have the confidence that you are going to do it correctly. In other cases it is a matter of just getting someone else to do the work for you.

There is no good reason to put your business in jeopardy by succumbing to the fear of not doing something well. Not doing it at all will definitely produce no results at all. I fully understand not want to do a bad job on an important item but you are better off making an attempt than sticking with the outcome of not doing it at all.

Better yet, recognize when important things not getting are due to fear or lack of knowledge and get the help you need. It’s not a sign of weakness but a sign of a business owner/entrepreneur that wants to succeed. Be that person and you will take a huge weight off of your shoulders. I promise you that.

To Your Business Success-

George Sierchio
The Consultant’s Coach