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The best marketers know that what worked before does not necessarily work today.

The old idea of “push” marketing has now been replaced. It is not even “pull” marketing. Today, the key is to be able to persuade people in a pleasant way to embrace you, your products, and your services.

Today, things are different. You can’t force people to watch your ads. There are so many choices that people are programmed to flip channels at light speed. We have a whole generation trained in “the art of the delete key” when it comes to junk mail.

I recently conducted a training session with some very sophisticated marketers struggling with the new reality of selling. Social media is about connecting with people. That feeling has permeated other areas of doing business as well.

So, if you can’t push something on the public so they’ll buy, what can a serious marketer do?

Focus on relationship marketing.

This is how you attract people. Build quality, mutually beneficial relationships in business.

Generate Customer Interest

It has been said since long ago that “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” That is true.

However, if you give the horse some salt beforehand (I don’t recommend this at all, but work with me just for the sake of illustration), you’ll vastly increase the chances that the horse will want your water. Also, if you make the environment “hot” for your message, that horse will be mighty thirsty!

So what “salt” can you, as a relationship marketer, give to horses (read, your potential clients, customers, buyers) that will make them want to “drink?” Today, it is different from before, but certain essentials remain the same.

Today, you have to generate incredible interest in what it is you’re doing. You have to provide serious value — as defined by your buyers, not you. What is it that they are looking for? What is it that they need? How can you help them achieve resolution of their problems and the issues that confront them?

Do Your Research

To get this information, you have to do your research. Don’t just assume that you know what they want. The desires and needs of your customers change regularly. What worked yesterday is not necessarily going to work today or tomorrow.

You need to continually acquire new market-valuable skills. Always learn new information. Learn information that is valuable to your customer which they find worth their time, money and energy.

When I was speaking to that group of marketers that I mentioned earlier, we talked about the importance of them getting involved in the Facebook and LinkedIn groups of their target market. You want to be involved in these groups, not as a pushy salesperson, but as a helpful resource. Be the person they want to go to for vital industry information. Keep honing and fine-tuning your skills.

Once you have the skills and the market gets to know you, your problem will be selecting the best offer. Not a bad problem to have!

Make your marketing and your exposure to the world very “salty.” The more appealing your marketing, the more people will gravitate to you to buy what you have. Your focus — particularly in times like these — should be on getting better at what you do in a market-valuable way. Get really good at solving pain for others, and make your service second-to-none.

Here’s to lots of horses drinking your water, you “salty marketer,” you!

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].