Today business owners do their marketing in one of two different ways. The first and most common style of marketing is what I like to call the “old-fashioned” way. It typically consists of the business owner putting up signs in their windows, renting out yellow page advertising, sending out postcards every once in a while and generally having generic advertising, much like how their competitors communicate with their market.

In their advertising most businesses usually have the same type of language, which as a consumer you might be familiar with. This is communication such as “Since 1984”, “Friendly and Quality Customer Service”, “Licensed and Fully Insured”, “Family Owned and Operated”, “Free Estimates”, etc.

This type of communication offers no type of real first-hand value, or anything that might spark interest or curiosity of a typical prospect. It doesn’t give prospects a reason to choose your business over your competitors; it only is effective in blending a business in with the majority of the numerous others in most markets.

The second style of marketing is informative-styled marketing.

This is mainly what marketing savvy business owners practice. Informative-styled marketing is when an establishment engages their prospects with helpful, educational, and valuable information beforehand to sway their buying decision.

This approach works very well, because of the nature of human psychology. When we interact with each other, we are typically hard-wired to avoid any hassle or any inconvenience whatsoever from other humans. When interacting, we are also attracted to favorable results or outcomes from each situation we find ourselves in.

We want our problems solved, and we want to avoid any discomfort in the process.

So this exact philosophy applies to when a prospect enters a market looking to make a purchase of some sort. In order to capitalize on this philosophy as a business owner, instead of focusing on yourself, you must inform or educate your prospect as a means of providing value towards their problem before they hand you money.

This means that when a prospect makes an inquiry, that prospect would be given something to help them move closer to the problem being ultimately solved. This is normally something like a free buyer’s guide, dvd, online video, or a pre-recorded message that details what to look for in a trustworthy provider or product, what to steer clear of, and helpful tips on how to prevent or start solving their problem themselves.

Every prospect in virtually every market is looking to get the solution to their problem as quickly as possible, as painless as possible, while avoiding businesses that may just cause untold hassle or inconvenience beyond the horizon. These businesses are the ones that use the previously described communication like “Family Owned and Operated, Since1984”, that all blend in with each other, which causes indifference and even reluctance when the prospect goes to choose a provider.

Your business must stand head and shoulders over the competition.

Engage them with valuable informative and educational content beforehand, which helps them move closer to their desired outcome so they will spark a higher interest in your business.

For example, a high end piano retailer has a free report available for their prospects who are considering buying a piano. It’s called “88 Keys to Buying a Piano”, and details the different styles, options, and functions of the physical components of a piano such as the soundboard, case, plate, bridges, keys, strings, etc. It also includes what you should look for when you are looking to buy a used piano, how to choose a manufacturer and dealer, the basics of tuning, voicing and moving a piano.

After a prospect inquires for and receives a report such as this one, they have made the transition from prospect to lead. You now have their information and can follow up with them, confident that they most likely have an intention to make a purchase.

Marketing savvy business owners communicate with their market in an informative fashion such as this. It is the best approach to generate hot, qualified leads and also works to set your enterprise apart from your competitors.