In the heat of the moment, you think you’re saying all the right things and being reasonable and rational – but then, in hindsight, you realise you were kidding yourself!
It’s amazing how much your own kids can push your buttons. They know how to light the fuse. And I lost it at him—my son, that is. First, let me say I love him to bits, and he’s a great kid. But like most teenagers, he’s not prepared to do what often needs to be done.
You see, he wants to play basketball at a professional level but isn’t prepared to give it everything he has and work harder than the next kid to get and keep opportunities. So, I started to explain the concept of cause and effect to him.
Effect => Playing for Australia
Cause => Working your arse off and working harder and smarter than the next guy.
The effect is the outcome and what you can’t influence.
The cause is what you can influence, making the effect likely to happen.
After I offered my best fatherly advice, the lesson lingered in my mind, and I started to consider the application of cause and effect to marketing.
Effect => More customers than you can handle.
Cause => An investment in great marketing.
But the more I thought about this, the more I realised you don’t simply ‘do great marketing’. Great marketing is the effect. So, what is the cause?
Effect => Great marketing that gives you more customers than you can handle.
Cause => Implementing the three irrefutable laws of marketing.
After sitting on my deck, watching the sun go down with a nice little fire and beer in hand, this concept started to take shape. Now, it’s not new, and it’s not innovative. It’s as old as time. And that’s why they are irrefutable. All three!
And like all laws we abide by, we must comply with all three! If we only live by two, we’ll you’ll continue to languish in mediocrity. So, let’s explore these in more detail, and I’ll even add in the mandates for what you should do to abide by the laws.
Irrefutable Marketing Law 1: I buy from people I like!
Your customer has a need they want fulfilled; a problem they want solved. If they don’t like you, they’ll never buy from you. It’s that simple.
Marketing Mandate 1: Make them like you
Your customers need to like you. So, how do you make them like you through your marketing? It’s no different from how you relate to people and build real-life relationships.
- Be personable – Tell stories, openly share mistakes, crack a joke, and be human!
- Leverage videos – You can tell a lot about people by watching a two-minute video.
- Share your history/origin story – Your history and the why behind your entry into the industry and your business establishment say a lot about your vision and values.
- Be about them – People who constantly talk about themselves have very few friends. The same is true in business. Focus on your customers rather than yourself.
- Help! – The quickest way to anyone’s heart is to help them. Add value to their lives, no matter how small (and do it because you care—do it for free!).
Irrefutable Marketing Law 2: I buy from the experts
As we established, your customer has a need they want fulfilled; a problem they want solved. So, are they going to go to just anyone for it? No. They want the experts. The business who can provide the best value.
Marketing Mandate 2: Show you’re the expert
People no longer accept that you’re the expert. They want proof. You must prove you are the real deal and have the best to offer. So, how do you show you’re the expert?
- Leverage videos – Videos can communicate your expertise very quickly. It really is time to get comfortable in front of the camera!
- Show me the numbers – Show me the numbers; how many years have you been in the industry, how long have you been in business, and how many customers have you worked with?
- Use social proof – Saying you’re great is one thing, but showing others you’re great is far more persuasive. You can do this through awards, case studies, testimonials, and industry involvement.
- Share your knowledge – The more knowledge you share, the more your customers will know you have!
- Help! – The quickest way to demonstrate your expertise is to identify, understand, and then solve a problem. Demonstrate that you see and understand their frustrations and that you know the solution. Again, add value to their lives, no matter how small (and do it because you care—do it for free!).
Irrefutable Marketing Law 3: I buy from people I trust
Remember how we said your customer has a need they want fulfilled, a problem they want solved? Why would they buy from anyone they don’t trust to deliver on it? Trust is centred around value (are our values aligned?), and it starts being built in Irrefutable Marketing Laws 1 and 2.
The truth is that most of our buying decisions aren’t based on facts and figures—at least not at first. We buy based on a feeling—we’re emotional beings, after all—and then we justify our purchases logically.
Marketing Mandate 3: Show you are trustworthy
- Follow Irrefutable Marketing Laws 1 and 2 to the tee!
- Back up your claims – If you make a claim, make sure it is backed up with proof.
- Follow through on what you have said – Keep your word. If you make a promise, keep it.
- Help! – It’s getting repetitive now, I know. But it’s important enough to be repeated three times. It shows good character and motives. It shows you value the human over the sale.
The one who adds the most value wins
It’s a catch cry you’ll keep hearing from me – because it’s true. The more value you add, the more you help, challenge, and improve the world of your customers, the more customers you will get. Because they’ll be happy, and they’ll tell more people. Everyone wins in that scenario.
