There are two approaches to selling memberships at the local gym. The first is to show the prospective member the facilities—highlighting the abundance of equipment and classes, and then to offer a ‘limited time only’ joining discount. The second is to spend time listening to the reasons why he wants to join in the first place and then to tailor the sales conversation to those needs.

Two Things Your Marketing Messages Must Do

1. Communicate to the customer that you have understood his unmet needs or unspoken desires.

2. Paint a picture of the customer as the hero of the story in the presence of your product (a lot of marketing messages have this backward).

Average marketing is filled with statements of fact. Great marketing is a response to the customer’s problems and desires. It’s the difference between, ‘this is better’ and ‘this is how we can help you to be better’.

Image by midwestnerd