What Viagra Can Teach Us All About Infusionsoft Marketing

Viagra is a touchy subject. Anyone in their 50's like me wants to stay away from admitting they need it. Only the guys on TV and their ladies in the commercials want to talk about it openly.
But there is a lot this Infusionsoft consultant has learned from the pharmaceutical industry and how they push their wares. They've been experimenting for years investing in marketing research using solid metrics to learn what works and doesn't work.
FACT: 70% of the buying decision is made before a client calls or emails anyone in sales.
What can we all learn from this as Infusionsoft marketing automation folks?
Just think back to how we used to get prescriptions and buy drugs back 20 years. We went to the doctor to discuss our "issue." "What can I do, doctor? My lady's complaining." The doctor would do his thing, run tests and give you a prescription that you filled at the pharmacy.
Boy has that changed...drastically. Today, the complaining lady sees a commercial or hears a news story on how these drugs improves the lives of couples. She discovers a solution to their "issue." She then goes online to do more research. If the lady is sharp, she'll pick the appropriate time to tell her guy, "You have an appointment with Dr. So and So. I'm going with you."
They walk into the doctor's office with all the facts in hand. She's pretty much expecting the doctor to agree with her conclusion that this magic pill will solve their problem. The client (and in this case the patient and interested party) comes in incredibly well-informed and educated. They are looking for the providers to facilitate and they feel in charge
FACT: We want all our prospects highly educated on our products and services.
Let's start with your website.
What is it prospects and repeat clients learn about you by visiting your website?
- Is it just a hastily put together information package about your company and offerings?
- Is it a self-service information resource that provides them everything you want them to know about you?
- Can people navigate easily to the information you want them to see about what you sell?
You are in education mode. You need to make it easy and address the objectives prospects may have about your products and services. You want to gain control of the buying process. People are going to do their research. They are going to see what they can learn about you first. Only after they have found what they want will they be giving you a call to ask you to get involved.
What is being said about you by others?
If you can sell on Amazon, what do the reviews say about you? If you are a doctor, what do patients say about you in sites like Healthgrades and Vitals. Are your reviews positive or negative? Do you even know?
I did work for a doctors practice that had some very negative patient evaluations on some of these online sites. They suspected a disgruntled former colleague was behind that. This is a big issue because anyone looking for a professional will likely check online resources. In this case, what they needed was an SEO campaign to push more positive information to page one of Google replacing the negative information which was now available on pages 2 and up.
Regardless of your industry, there are sites out there where people can find information on you. You need to know what is being said. Then you need to take control of that because your prospects are going to go online before they call you.
Conclusion
The buying process has been turned upside down. It's the reality of today's market and the pharmaceuticals and other industries clearly illustrate how to take action. That's how drugs that in the past were only known to doctors are now household names.
All business owners need to do the same. You need to take control of the buying process by proactively taking steps to bolster your online image and get the information out that starts selling before you even know a sale has begun.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. I respond to all comments.