Marketing Delusion No 4 - I Can Win New Clients Without Preparing Professional Marketing Materials

It is easy to imagine that it is a savings of time and money not to get your marketing writing done, and not to have professional marketing materials. Think about it though, what will you do when you get that question, "Do you have more information?"

This is the Holy Grail of marketing - a prospect interested enough to want to know more about your business. You've obviously done some things right in your marketing. Now, when asked this all-important question, all you can do is apologize and be embarrassed.

The prospect decides right then and there to move on to your competitors. You lost your opportunity to have a new client. If you're suffering from the marketing delusion that you can win new clients without preparing professional marketing writing, here's why that's not a good idea.

1. The prospect cannot learn enough about your business to decide to buy your services.

If you have nothing written to give out, how will the prospect know enough about what you do. Don't think that a brochure will secure you sales. That is unlikely. What prospects want is the full information that they can read in private whenever they feel like it and have the time. You can provide this information in your website writing, or in your marketing writing, but provide it you must - if you want to have an easy time getting new clients.

2. Potential clients want to gain information in privacy, before they actually engage with you in person about your services.

When a prospect is in "shopping" mode, they want to gather information, and process it privately. They want to consider all their options, without interaction with vendors. They want to research and explore, and to figure out what questions and concerns they have - before speaking with you in person. If you do not give them adequate information in your marketing writing and website writing, you will be excluded from their selection as a potential service provider.

3. You create a difficult sales cycle for your business without professional marketing materials.

If you don't give your potential clients all the information they need, you will end up feeling like your have to "chase" prospects, and work hard to get them to buy from you. You will end up saying the same things over and over, and having to explain the basics repeatedly. It's much more efficient for you to get the basics laid out in writing, and to include full details. That way, potential clients can be informed, and will come to you knowledgeable about your business. It's much easier to close them.

4. You make your business look amateurish, and end up embarrassed and apologetic when your marketing materials are not professional.

It's embarrassing to have to make apologies when prospects ask you for more information. If you don't have professional marketing materials, you're going to be caught unprepared every time this happens. Prospects will decide not to work with you on this fact alone. You create ongoing embarrassment for yourself by not being prepared with professional marketing writing.

5. Prospects will not buy what they do not understand.

In order to decide to purchase your services, prospects need to understand all the details of what you do. If there is even only one thing they don't understand or have doubt about, that is enough of a reason for them to move on to your competitors. Don't give them an easy "out". Make it a "no brainer" for them to decide that they need to talk to you in person.

Don't fall prey to the delusion that you can win new clients without having professional quality marketing writing and website writing. That is a "savings" that will cost you and your business dearly.

Suzi Elton provides business writing that attracts targeted prospects to your service business and converts them into clients for you. She is a Robert Middleton Certified Action Plan Marketing Coach, as well as a professional writer. Her website offers a free series of 8 assessments you can use to analyze your own site.

It is easy to imagine that it is a savings of time and money not to get your marketing writing done, and not to have professional marketing materials. Think about it though, what will you do when you get that question, "Do you have more information?"

This is the Holy Grail of marketing - a prospect interested enough to want to know more about your business. You've obviously done some things right in your marketing. Now, when asked this all-important question, all you can do is apologize and be embarrassed.

The prospect decides right then and there to move on to your competitors. You lost your opportunity to have a new client. If you're suffering from the marketing delusion that you can win new clients without preparing professional marketing writing, here's why that's not a good idea.

1. The prospect cannot learn enough about your business to decide to buy your services.

If you have nothing written to give out, how will the prospect know enough about what you do. Don't think that a brochure will secure you sales. That is unlikely. What prospects want is the full information that they can read in private whenever they feel like it and have the time. You can provide this information in your website writing, or in your marketing writing, but provide it you must - if you want to have an easy time getting new clients.

2. Potential clients want to gain information in privacy, before they actually engage with you in person about your services.

When a prospect is in "shopping" mode, they want to gather information, and process it privately. They want to consider all their options, without interaction with vendors. They want to research and explore, and to figure out what questions and concerns they have - before speaking with you in person. If you do not give them adequate information in your marketing writing and website writing, you will be excluded from their selection as a potential service provider.

3. You create a difficult sales cycle for your business without professional marketing materials.

If you don't give your potential clients all the information they need, you will end up feeling like your have to "chase" prospects, and work hard to get them to buy from you. You will end up saying the same things over and over, and having to explain the basics repeatedly. It's much more efficient for you to get the basics laid out in writing, and to include full details. That way, potential clients can be informed, and will come to you knowledgeable about your business. It's much easier to close them.

4. You make your business look amateurish, and end up embarrassed and apologetic when your marketing materials are not professional.

It's embarrassing to have to make apologies when prospects ask you for more information. If you don't have professional marketing materials, you're going to be caught unprepared every time this happens. Prospects will decide not to work with you on this fact alone. You create ongoing embarrassment for yourself by not being prepared with professional marketing writing.

5. Prospects will not buy what they do not understand.

In order to decide to purchase your services, prospects need to understand all the details of what you do. If there is even only one thing they don't understand or have doubt about, that is enough of a reason for them to move on to your competitors. Don't give them an easy "out". Make it a "no brainer" for them to decide that they need to talk to you in person.

Don't fall prey to the delusion that you can win new clients without having professional quality marketing writing and website writing. That is a "savings" that will cost you and your business dearly.

Suzi Elton provides business writing that attracts targeted prospects to your service business and converts them into clients for you. She is a Robert Middleton Certified Action Plan Marketing Coach, as well as a professional writer. Her website offers a free series of 8 assessments you can use to analyze your own site.