Educational Marketing: Show, Tell, Teach, and Sell

Do you like visiting the dentist?

Me neither.

But something remarkable happened to me yesterday while getting my teeth cleaned. It could save my smile. And make you a few bucks, too.

Here's the story ...

I own a very spiffy Sonicare toothbrush that I almost never use. It takes too long, it's a bit irritating, a standard toothbrush is easier, blah blah blah.

So, yesterday, I'm sitting in the chair and Theresa, the hygienist, is sticking a probe into my gums. She's counting off numbers: "3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 4 ..." A 3 or below is good -- if she can stick the probe 3 millimeters or less into my gums, that means they are tight and healthy. Any 4s or 5s are bad -- that means my gums are weak and unhealthy.

I'm hearing way too many 4s.

Theresa says, "The good news is, your gums look better than they did 6 months ago. Do you floss?"

"Every day," I respond.

"Do you have a Sonicare toothbrush?"

"Yes."

"Do you use it?"

"Not much," I say.

"Well, you can get 30,000 brush strokes a minute with a Sonicare. The best you can do with a standard toothbrush is about 300 strokes. That's 100 times more brushing in the same amount of time. It removes way more plaque and bacteria, so your gums stay healthy."

That's when a 40-watt light bulb went off in my head.

"You mean I can be 100 times more efficient with a Sonicare?" I ask?

"Yes."

"Duh. Stupid. Okay, sign me up," I reply.

Now.

Was using a Sonicare toothbrush a good idea 6 months ago? Yes.

Did I buy into it then? No. I was too comfortable doing what I always did to make a change.

Was using a Sonicare toothbrush a good idea yesterday? Yes.

Did I buy into it? Yes.

Why? Because something clicked when I learned I could be 100 times more efficient. The gain of wiping out more bacteria with the same effort finally broke through the pain of changing my routine.

And here's the marketing moral of the story: While a small percentage of your prospects are ready to buy on their first contact with you, the vast majority are as stubborn, ignorant, and unwilling to make a change as I was about using an electric toothbrush.

Most of your prospects require ongoing, systematic contact to show them, tell them, and educate them -- at different times and in different ways -- until something clicks in their head. No amount of browbeating or scolding from you will make the sale. They must decide for themselves that you are the right choice.

The problem: You'll never know ahead of time what it is you say or do that causes prospects to buy.

The opportunity: If you keep educating prospects, you keep making more sales.

So ... what will you do about this?

One more thing: If you own a business, you can get a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers delivered to your door at no cost, if you hurry. Learn more at www.MarketingMultipliers.com