"For information junkies, their credit card is their needle. And since ad copy is designed to compel them to buy – it’s really all about how good the fix 'feels'."

- Kevin

The Difference Between Helping and Selling

An Open Letter to My Marketing Colleagues

© 2005 By Kevin Wirth - all rights reserved worldwide

Word Count: 982

Updated 10/22/05

One of the things I’ve noticed about some of my internet marketing colleagues is that a good many of them seem to think that just because someone is signed up to their list, it’s the equivalent of having a license to sell (one of them actually said this to me not too long ago).

So they bombard their lists with a never-ending stream of one offer after another in an effort to get some cashflow generated for their business. Many of them have even convinced (deluded?) themselves into thinking that they are actually doing their subscribers a favor by recommending as many good products as they can find. If they use a product or have reviewed it – then they can say something useful about it. But that doesn’t mean that many of their subscribers may actually need it.

At this point, some of them will say “Hey Kevin, it’s not my responsibility to help others decide what they need”.

Not so fast.

Newbies need something that most of the rest of us have come by the hard way – most of us who have been at this for awhile have a plan for our business – newbies are still trying to figure out what their plan is – or if they even need one at all. They're still trying to figure out what's on first and who's on second - and there is usually no rhyme or reason to the marketing universe that they can see. Just a mish-mash of products. How it all fits together is still a cosmic mystery to them. And under such circumstances, selling product after product DOES pose a serious problem that even they soon become aware of, and it's this: many of you are making sales off of their ignorance.

When you sell products just for the sake of selling for profit – even if the products are good ones – are you selling to make a buck or two, or are you genuinely concerned about whether the product will move your customers closer to success? Let’s face it – if what you’re doing is all or even mostly just peddling products, then you are closer to being a hypemeister than you may realize. Even if your subscribers come to you looking for another product to buy, it’s usually no different than any other junkie coming in for a new ‘fix’. For information junkies, their credit card is their needle. And since ad copy is designed to compel them to buy – it’s really all about how good the fix 'feels' until the next one comes along.

Listen to the spot-on commentary from one of my sullen subscribers. Her sentiments reflect that of many who ‘spin out’ and eventually give up exhausted, disenchanted, and without any money.

I DO bite my lip when I read stuff like this because for her and so many others – these are some of the perceptions they are attempting to deal with. And unfortunately, these perceptions are quite often not greatly exaggerated.

So, I’d like to wrap this up with an appeal to reason (as I see it).

I know that our autoresponders make it possible for us to send offer after offer in rapid succession to our subscribers - but just because we CAN do this doesn't mean we SHOULD. Business owners need more than that, because marketing should be executed in the context of a good business plan. They need to know which marketing tactic(s) work best for them and their business.

I would like to encourage all of my marketing colleagues to start thinking more about how you can help your subscribers create a personal action plan before they buy products or services from you – especially the high ticket stuff. We have a responsibility to do more than simply sell whatever makes us a quick buck. Offering our subscribers one package after another without ALSO helping them create a business or marketing plan is simply not going to help them be successful, in most instances.

Selling product after product to newbies who don’t have a plan is like giving one match after another to a 2-year old in a dry forest. Put another way – it’s like selling someone all the possible materials they MIGHT need to build a house – but with no blueprint. Why sell someone 30 windows when they really only need 15? And why try to sell them an air conditioner when they live in a cold climate and would fare much better with a wood stove? These same principles apply to those of us who sell internet marketing resources. If we’re really sincere about helping them succeed, then we’re going to help them plan their success, and integrate key products and services we know work well into those plans.

We talk a lot about targeting our market. I think that includes making sure that we help them figure out what resources would serve them best right where they are. Selling products that represent more than 200 different marketing tactics is a pretty big target.

Let’s have this as our model: We will help our subscribers build a solid plan if they’ll buy the materials they need from us. We need to start taking on the attitude that we are here to consult with them and help them build and execute a successful plan, not just sell them the next bill on their credit card.

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Kevin Wirth is the owner of KEVS-KORNER ezine, a free online newsletter offering articles, tips, resources, and insight on over 150 different marketing tactics. He is bringing together a growing community where you can work with others to create and market products online. To discover how Kevin can help you grow your online business, and get a free gift just for visiting, please head on over to www.kevs-korner.com.

This article was first published on KEVS-KORNER March 2, 2005.

Kevin and 'Sailor'

Kevin Wirth is the editor of KEVS-KORNER ezine and publisher of several reports and articles on many diverse topics such as Customer Loyalty, Internet Marking Tactics, and Seafood. A 25 year veteran of Corporate America, Kevin consults with netpreneurs and small businesses to help them attract and retain customers and design, build, and market digital products. He is also an expert on Team Dynamics, Project Management, Process Management, Risk Engineering, and Information Management. For a free sampler of his articles, reports and to sign up for a free subscription to KEVS KORNER ezine, be sure to visit Kevin's home page at:

http://www.kevs-korner.com.

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