Teach Them to Dream

Teach Them to Dream

For many many years, when I talk about marketing, I want to remind organizations that the goal of the marketing department is to develop the marketplace around whatever it is they sell. Recently, I can't get it out of my head that the best marketers win when they teach the customer to dream.

The Best Moments in Marketing

Have you ever seen an amazing demo or ad? The kind that makes you think, "Holy cats, just IMAGINE what I can DO with that thing!" To me, that's the highest goal of marketing is to make someone think, "Oh wow! I need THAT."

And to do that, we have to teach people to dream.

Okay look: we sell b2b software. Some of it isn't exactly sparkly and amazing. But lots of it does EXACTLY what someone really needs.

We sell Comala Document Management. Know what it does amazingly well? We can handle compliance in amazing ways, and version control, and that sort of thing. You know how you're always freaking out that you're on the latest/best version of a document? Or the RIGHT one? That's what this this product does.

That's not super sexy. But boy oh boy: if that's a challenge you're facing in your business, I want our marketing to sing out to you. I want it to say, "Hey! We've got you SO covered."

That's the best moment in marketing: when someone shows you a thing and you REALLY need/want that thing.

Sell the Dream, Not Even the Benefits

You've heard that old adage: sell benefits, not features. Sure. but if you want to win big, sell the dream. We sell Dashboard Hub. You know when the boss says, "I just want to see it all in ONE PLACE." That's what this does. You can see all your data everywhere.

The dream is that you can just snap out really great looking information and gauges that will show people at a glance what you're doing. That's a great story to tell. That's what people want to know. Sure, you have to kick some tires, but to me, that's the "and also" part of marketing. You have to hook someone first.

The dream is where we should sink our big efforts to earn attention.

Or at least that's my point of view.

-Chris...

Joanne Sprott

Intuitive Mentor | Tarot Reader | Metaphysics Essayist | Poet

1 年

Definite feast for thought here, Chris. I'm seeing how the dream can lead as a great hook. And I may be selling myself short by focusing on features instead of the dream. Especially since my dream for my coaching clients is quite big (size of the universe, for real).

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Ije Jemie Nwabueze Lean Six Sigma

Chief Strategy Officer @ Dreamcatchers Performance | Fractional COO | Executive Team Accelerator

1 年

Love this! Chris Brogan Yes to dreaming again. Yes to bringing the human side of life back into the corporate world and to B2B interactions. Yes to bringing color and joy back. Yes to it all.

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★ Debbie Saviano ★

I Can Show YOU ? How To Use LinkedIn To Share "Your Solutions" And "WHY YOU" | How To Be Seen & Heard | "Curiosity Corner" Newsletter | #LinkedIn LIVE ? "Let's Talk" | SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCATE ? #COURSECREATOR > #SPEAKER

1 年

As always Chris Brogan you’re Dreaming Big! It’s funny how it often goes back to the simple things of you will. People just want to know “how will it help me!” Bill Hale sounds familiar with what you do at FetchGoat with the Trucking Industry.

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