There’s a lot of emphasis placed on the fact that effective marketing in today’s crowded marketplace requires that your messages, website, blog, etc. all have relevant content.  Well, recently, I had a shopping experience that I want to share that shows how relevant content is important in a sales scenario.

I was shopping for a new lawn trimmer.  I went to a couple of retail stores and found quite a selection.  Now, it’s been a long time sine I last purchased a trimmer, so, as you would expect, things have changed.  Now, they offer both 2 and 4 cycle engines.  For those that may not know the difference, 2-cycle engines require the oil and gas to be mixed - 4 cycle engines, like your car, have the oil and gas separated.  So, the sales people were pushing 4 cycle claiming they last longer and had more power.  Important features, sure.  But, after shopping at the big box retailers, I went to an independent store.  When I asked the salesperson his opinion about 2 or 4 cycle, he quickly said that most people turn their trimmers on their side for edging and other uses.  Well, in a 4 cycle engine, this will be a problem because if the trimmer is turned over, oil will not get in the engine and you’ll burn the engine.  Wow, what a piece of knowledge.  For me it was an instant no-brainer.  I’ve always turned or rotated my trimmer.  So, that  information was exceptionally critical for me to make the right decision (actually, I should have realized this on my own as I know engines!).

This experience illustrates the importance for relevant information in a sales discussion.  It also is instructive for anyone selling a service or product - you should answer the question: “what does someone need to know in order to make a good buying decision?”.  If you really embrace this, it will help you discover relevant content you can use for your marketing material.