Let's Talk: The Failure of Mass Marketing

Though we would like to build deep relationships, mass marketing methods eliminate this possibility. The nature of mass marketing is pushing a product or service into the marketplace. In mass marketing we try to push ourselves into the life of our client. Resistance is created at the start. We are successful, only because our sales skills are greater than our customer’s ability to resist sales. They leave the encounter feeling they have been sold, rather than feeling they bought something. We have created a customer not a client. Think back to the last time you went out to buy something. If you left the store feeling you were sold, you felt taken advantage of, rather then when you leave feeling you bough something. This very subtle difference is enormous in regard to referrals. No one refers their friends and associates to a situation where they will be sold. Attraction is based on the customer wanting to buy and leaving feeling they have made a great purchase, rather than feeling they were sold. Another problem with mass marketing is its universal appeal, the market is too large. Mass marketing methods push themselves out to hundreds or thousands, because there is no urgency on the part of the consumer. Persuasion and influence, i.e. sales skills, are used to convince the client of the need they have for the product or service being offered. This begins the resistance discussed above. This lack of urgency will be discussed further in the chapters on creating action.

Using mass marketing your practice is identified with the herd of others using the same methods and marketing. To separate yourself form the herd, you must change your marketing.