Problem Solving Marketing versus Flash In The Pan Marketing
In a previous article, I wrote about Flash In The Pan Marketing. I stated that it was marketing that created a short burst of excitement that only last for a short period of time. This type of marketing plays off of the emotions of people and is often successful in getting people to make quick buying decisions. On the downside, after the excitement has faded, buyer remorse usually kicks in.
There may be times when you need to use Flash In The Pan marketing. However, as a marketer, if you want to sustain long term success, you will need to focus your marketing efforts on solving people’s problems. The greatest marketing opportunities are in providing solutions to problems. I call this type of marketing, Problem Solving Marketing.
When you apply the Problem Solving Marketing method, your first step is to find a target market with a unique problem. Once you have identified their problem, you deliver a solution that solves their problem. By positioning yourself as a problem solver, you will automatically command your audience’s attention and easily convert sales.
Example:
I suffer from dry skin. I have used every over the counter lotion known to man and nothing has worked. I have even sought out a couple of dermatologists, hoping they might be able to prescribe something that would cure my problem. Prescription lotion only seems to mask my issue by layering on a coat of greasy film to my skin.
I didn’t find a cure to my problem until my friend, Bob, suggested a product that I try. Bob just so happens to be a Melaleuca representative. When I told him about my dry skin issues he suggested I try out a product line of “Gold Bar” soap and Renew Intensive Skin Therapy lotion. He instructed me to bath with the soap and use the lotion after showering. I had my doubts but figured I had nothing to lose since I had tried everything else.
Within three days of using these two products, I noticed that my dry skin condition was all but gone. My skin did not feel greasy but instead felt as if it was healthy skin that was actually breathing through clean open pores. I was amazed at how great my skin felt. Needless to say I was sold.
A week after delivering the “Gold Bar” soap and Renew Therapy lotion, Bob called to ask how things were going. I told him I was totally cured of dry skin problems. The soap made my skin feel fresh and I even noticed that certain parts of my body that normally got hot and sweaty didn’t get so anymore… at least not as frequent.
This lead to a conversation about perspiration. He asked me about the type of deodorant I used and then began to tell me about the skin care issues I should be aware of because of the ingredients used in the products I put on my skin. I had never looked at the label on my deodorant stick, so when he pointed it out, I was amazed at what I discovered. He then suggested that I try out a Melaleuca men’s deodorant.
Without any hesitation, I ordered the deodorant along with a few more bars of soap and a couple of bottles of lotion. At this point my trust factor in Bob was high. He was giving me solutions to my skin problems and educating me along the way. I was definitely going to be a repeat customer.
Bob never approached me about getting into the business as a Melaleuca rep. He took his time and slowly educated me about health care issues and continued to convince me to try different products one at a time.
Within six months, I was ordering from Bob on a monthly basis. That’s when he approached me and asked me if I was interested in saving money on my orders. There was only one logical answer to that question and Bob and I both knew the answer was yes.
Bob asked if he could come over that evening when my wife and I were home. I said yes and Bob enrolled us into the business without any hesitation or reservation.
Bob used Problem Solving Marketing to ultimately get me into his business. He recognized a problem I was having and saw an opportunity to provide a solution. Bob could have asked me to join his business after the first week curing my dry skin issue but he didn’t. He kept looking for problems and kept providing solutions until I was deeply committed to his company’s product line.
By the sixth month, Bob saw that I was a regular customer and was in love with the products. He knew the timing was right to have a conversation about getting into the business. My walls of resistance were all the way down and he went in for the ultimate sale. The sale that he originally wanted anyway.
Bob did not approach me to show me how to make extra money. Instead he decided to get me into the business by solving one final problem. He knew I could get the products at a discount savings if I just became a representative. I was already making monthly product purchases so he knew he could solve my problem of spending too much on the products I was in love with and already buying.
It is said that people hate to be sold to but that they love to buy. I never felt that Bob was selling me. Instead, Bob showed his concern for my problems and gave me excellent solutions that helped solve those problems. As a result, I became Bob’s customer and ultimately his business partner. Bob proved that Problem Solving Marketing works!
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