“The biggest marketing mistake?” Dan Kennedy wrote, “It’s assuming everyone who sees your ad is ready to buy right now.”

Frank Kern, the celebrated digital marketing pioneer, and once of my marketing coach puts it even more bluntly: “If you’re just going for the sale right away, you’re leaving 98% of your money on the table. Most people need to ‘date’ your business before they’ll marry it.”

Those words hit like a sledgehammer to conventional wisdom. Yet in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace, they’re more relevant than ever.

Picture this: You’re at a party. Would you propose marriage to someone you just met? Of course not. Yet countless businesses do the equivalent every day, bombarding cold prospects with “Buy Now!” messages that fall on deaf ears.

CASE IN POINT:

Dr. Robert Kotler, a Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, was drowning in a sea of competition. Every surgeon was screaming “Schedule Your Consultation!” in expensive full-page ads. The results? Mediocre at best.

Then came the revolution.

Instead of pushing for immediate appointments, Dr. Kotler offered something different: A free book titled “The Consumer’s Guide to Cosmetic Surgery.”

The results were staggering.

While competitors kept shouting into the void, Dr. Kotler’s phone started ringing off the hook. But here’s the kicker – these weren’t tire-kickers. These were pre-educated, pre-sold prospects who viewed him as the authority.

THE HIDDEN GOLD MINE

Kennedy nailed it when he said, “The real money is in the follow-up.” Kern adds, “The magic happens when you lead with value. Give them something so good they’d pay for it, but give it away free. That’s how you build an army of buyers.”

By providing valuable information first, you’re not just generating leads – you’re building trust and positioning yourself as the obvious choice.

Consider these numbers:

  • Only 1-3% of prospects are ready to buy now
  • 7-10% are open to buying soon
  • 30-40% aren’t even thinking about buying… yet

Traditional “Buy Now!” marketing ignores 97% of your potential market. It’s like fishing with a teaspoon in an ocean of opportunity.

PROOF IT WORKS EVERYWHERE

  • A chiropractor’s free guide “How to Improve Your Golf Swing Without More Practice or Lessons” brought in high-value patients in droves
  • A CPA firm dominated the lucrative racehorse owner niche with specialized newsletters
  • An M&A firm filled $25,000 seminars with their guide “How to Sell Your Company for Twice What You Think It’s Worth”
  • My firm, Tax Debt Consultants LLC, drives people to my book, “How To Make The IRS an Offer They Can’t Refuse.”

THE TAKEAWAY

As Kern often says, “The goal isn’t to make the sale. The goal is to make the customer.” Stop treating your marketing like a one-night stand. Start treating it like a courtship.

Kennedy drives it home: “The fortune is in the follow-up.” Give value first. Build trust. Then, when the time comes to make the sale, you won’t be selling at all – you’ll be harvesting the seeds you’ve already planted.

Remember: In today’s skeptical world, the business that educates best, wins.