The most common word “Help” – What are you doing to help? Marketing that helps will bring you sales

When someone says the word “help”, what comes to mind? Do you think of someone who is in need and just wants to waste your time? Perhaps you imagine someone who is stranded on a desert island waving their hands in the hope that a plane will find them. The word “help” evokes different images for everyone.

Your prospects and customers are looking for help on a daily basis. Some turn to search engines for help, others to their social networks, and still others hope to get to you! When someone asks for help, it does not mean that they are going to complain. Honestly, they may want help with some aspect of their business that you can provide the answer to. The more helpful your marketing is, the more likely you are to be contacted in their time of need.

Of course, you can’t be a free prospect help guide and expect to get business. I would invite them to consider being helpful in such a way that piques their interest and when they want full help, they will have to open their pockets. The big question is how do you make your marketing useful so they come back to you?

I would encourage you to consider the following help methods that will compel your prospects to take the next step in reaching out to you and investing in your product or service:

• White paper – White papers work great for business-to-business sales. You can highlight case studies, demonstrate a return on investment, and shatter your fears. White papers can show someone how they can solve their own problem and, when written correctly, will get them to call you for help with their specific need.
• quick guides – These are commonly used with software. They can be from 1 to 2 pages and even be laminated (if you want to leave them). The trick with quick guides is that they only reveal part of the story. When a client wants more help, they need to call you!
• Common questions – Most companies think of their FAQ page as a way to get rid of annoying customers; however, a marketer will see this as a lead generator. Common questions will only answer a portion of your prospects’ concerns. Consider making a call to action for people to ask their own questions to get more sales.

Since you want your marketing to be useful, be careful not to be too useful. You don’t want to reveal all of your answers, just provide the perception that all help is available.