b2b marketingWhether it’s for B2C or B2B marketing, there is a running question in the minds of businesspeople everywhere – Are marketers going too far?

In a recent article in Forbes.com entitled Marketers Have It Wrong: Forget Engagement, Consumers Want Simplicity, the author stated that “decision simplicity was the number one driver of likelihood to buy. The impact of simplifying purchase decisions for consumers is 4x stronger than the favored marketing strategy if engagement.”

Simply put, the above statement means that salespeople, along with marketers, should simplify their sales and marketing pitches in order to give out a stronger appeal towards their targeted prospects.

Here are some ways to simplify one’s sales and marketing process to hasten your prospects’ decision making.

  1. Add a call to actionIf you’re going for marketing practices that requires a less direct approach (i.e. content marketing, SEO, direct mail) you should put up a call to action (or CTA for short) in each advertising material that you send out.You have to answer the question, “What should I let people want to do?” Afterwards, you should let your prospect know the clear path towards their needs and maybe even the eventful purchase.
  2. Don’t abuse calls-to-actionThough it may be quite easy to just upsell a pricier option to your prospects and leads, there will always be such a thing as too much. Think about it, when browsing through a website on the Internet, you don’t want to be bombarded by ads and pop-ups all around your monitor. On the same page, your prospects don’t want too many advertising treats hovering all over their faces as they are still reading on what item or service they are about to purchase.
  3. Only promote what needs to be deliveredDon’t sugarcoat your offered products and/or services. Sure your prospects might take your word for it but what happens if they found out that you were telling fibs and lies? Don’t let them catch you where you don’t want to be. In fact, don’t start sugarcoating at all.It may shorten the sales cycle immensely but you don’t want to reap what’s coming afterwards.
  4. Give it to them straightMeaning, the facts and only the facts. If your prospect asks you a question about the features then tell them what your product and/or service can and can’t do. If they’re asking about what they’re getting then tell them about the benefits of purchasing what you offer. Again, don’t sugarcoat; one white lie can ruin everything.
  5. Never hide the priceIf your prospect asks how much will they have to shell out to purchase what you offer then tell them what it is (or at least tell them a ballpark figure). Don’t ever hide the price as it will take things longer and a lot more complicated. Plus, your prospect will become more skeptical on what you offer. They might even think that you’re running a shady business.For example, if you’re with a marketing firm that offers the generation of cash advance leads, then make it so that your prospect knows how much money will they expend (no matter how pricey it may sound).

You may have already known about these tips as they are quire simple and quite direct. However, there are times that it is the simple things that we tend to forget. These tips will not only hasten your prospects’ time to make a decision about making a purchase from your company, but it will guarantee them that they are buying from a respectable business.