By Maverick Steffen | Daily Marketing Advice

You and I both know that lately most people are spending less money. So, the reason your advertising may not be successful is not because people don’t find you credible, they may just not find you useful.

What I'm saying is perhaps you need to focus more on good old fashioned marketing that creates a demand for your product/service.

Scary isn’t it? You’d think in this day and age people should be banging down your door for that new widget that silences their front door by 20% when it is being closed. I’m sorry but this is not 1995, it is 2012, and we need to get customers off their butts to buy.

Here are a few tips:

1) Focus on Value, Not Power

Trying to hold power over a customer to make them buy (time constraints, cancellation fees, etc.) is like trying to continually manipulate a spouse in the interest of getting your way. Yes you will get what you want today, but next year your customer will seek out your competitor while your spouse includes your house and car in the divorce settlement. However, you can stir up a little emotion.

Focus on the value of what you are offering, and not the product.

If you’re a chef, milk the benefits of those moms and dads sharing a romantic evening out. If you’re a defense lawyer, make your client realize money is secondary to freedom.  Leverage visuals in your marketing materials that highlight the benefit of your product. Keep your customers’ eye on the pot of gold, not the rainbow.

2) Start the Relationship

Don’t treat a prospect like a prospect; treat a prospect like a customer. Rule #1 in copywriting is you never say, “We will serve your needs.”

Rather, use present-tense language such as, “we serve your needs.” This slight alteration in language creates dramatic results. Instead of you selling, you are serving. After-all, the sooner people buy from you the sooner their lives improve, so, start acting like it.

3) Be in Their Face

The core marketing strategy for 99% of our clients is having them build relationships with their customers and prospects. We ensure our schools are the intellectual center of their communities with online articles and blogs.

We have our bakeries ensure that no critical date can come or go without a friendly reminder to purchase that anniversary/birthday cake before the big day. The point is, you have a tremendous value in your customer’s life; and, if they needed you once, they are probably going to need you again.

Find interesting ways to ensure your phone number is on their speed dial, your card is in their wallet, your face is on their wall and your website is bookmarked on their toolbar. It takes some creative work, but not nearly as much as always needing to find new customers.

I want you to win, and not your competitor. I have a feeling we are both going to have a great week. I’ll chase down punks stealing TV’s; you use aggressive language to emphasize why people need your product.