I’m a big fan of HubSpot Marketing’s ‘Inbound Marketing Methodology’.

I’m a total marketing nerd always looking to improve AND it aligns exactly with my own belief system that you must meet potential buyers where they’re at. There’s no one-size-fits-all methodology. 

I HATE desperate, scarcity marketing. Any type of marketing that feels icky and pushy and manipulative is not gonna fly with me. 

On the other hand, I LOVE marketing that feels natural, helpful and super relevant to me. I’m guessing you do as well. 

That’s why I love the inbound marketing approach. Basically, it’s about using your voice, story, ideas and expertise to bring potential customers to you rather than going out and fighting for attention with formulaic marketing.

Inbound marketing is about being helpful. It’s about knowing your buyer better than they know themselves — the challenges they have, what questions they search for and what they really want to solve with your offer.  

It’s about creating content specifically designed to appeal to your dream buyers in a way that’s super helpful for one specific topic. 

It’s about asking yourself “What job is my buyer hiring my product/program/service to do for them?”. 

That’s why it drives me absolutely BANANAS when I hear so-called experts teaching a one-stop way to attract and sell to clients.

People Want Fast Answers… Not a Two-Hour Webinar

Let’s look at webinar funnels as an example. 

Are webinars great? Sure, they can be really effective for the right audience with the right offer at the right time.  

Are webinars the be-all, end-all to selling your product, program or service? NO. 

Are automated webinars the gravy-train of money rolling in while you sit on a beach? NO, NO and NO. 

Think about this: when is the last time you saw an ad from a stranger or company that you know NOTHING about and you signed up for a 60 or 90 minute webinar? I’m talking about someone you honestly don’t know a single thing about. 

I can’t think of the last time I did.

Can you? I’m going to guess the answer is no. 

Why is that? 

Well, when you’re out there searching for an answer to your questions, you’re not looking for a webinar, right? You’re looking for answers. 

I mean, you never log into Facebook, gleefully rubbing your hands together just waiting for a webinar ad to pop up, right? 

The same goes for your buyers. 

When one of your ideal buyers searches for questions and topics related to your product or service on Google, you want to show up front and center with content that compels them to click and learn more about your ideas, resources and insights. 

I can’t tell you how many clients I’ve worked with over the years who thought something was wrong with their business because they listened to a so-called expert that webinars were the answer… and then they couldn’t get anyone to sign up for their own webinar. 

Ever had that happen to you? Where you’re working away, killing yourself to follow a webinar formula and create an amazing presentation only to have no one show up? Or very few people signing up? 

It’s an awful feeling. 

When my clients came to me with their well-put-together webinars but no results, we always had to audit a few things before diving in: 

1. Who are they talking to?
2. What problem does this potential buyer want to solve?
3. What stage of the buying process are they at? 
4. How does this webinar solve this problem in a compelling way?  
5. How does that problem dovetail into their sales approach in a non-pushy, non-fake-urgency and fake scarcity way? 

Most people I’ve worked with over the years can’t effectively answer those questions. It’s not because they were bad business people but because they were taught that a webinar funnel was all you needed, when in fact, you need a LOT more. 

Be There in the Moment of Need

First and foremost, when it comes to your marketing you’ve got to know your potential buyer.

What are they looking to solve? What are they typing in their search bar when they jump on Google? Are you meeting them with content and resources that solve those early Google questions? 

For most people, the answer is no. 

Here’s the deal. When 85% or more of your potential buyers are jumping into the Google search bar, they’re not even AWARE of who you are, why you may be able to help them and why they should pay attention to you. 

Please hear me on this — at this awareness stage, their only focus is to answer a big, burning question. 

For example, we got a new puppy in late July. He is a little cavapoo and is SOOOOO adorable. But… right away we had two big issues: 

1. He wouldn’t sleep at night and would bark/cry/whine so loudly that no one could sleep.
2. We’d take him outside to do his business… then he’d come inside and pee or poo in the house almost right away. It was super irritating. 

So what did I do? Literally at 2 am after I came back inside with my pup to have him stop and pee on the hardwood floors, I cleaned up the mess, grabbed my phone, opened Google and searched for information on how to potty train my puppy. 

Now, I know there are about a bajillion dog training philosophies out there. And there are a TON of ideas BUT I came across two people who REALLY helped me in my moment of desperate need. 

The first was Puppy Training with Michele Lennon. Michele has a business called How to Train a Dream Dog. She’s SUPER smart and knows that two of the biggest issues with new puppies are potty training and sleeping and adjusting to a new family. 

So, what did Michele do? She put together HowToTrainADreamDog.com, complete with a FREE New Puppy Starter kit. This starter kit is all about how to get the new puppy adjusted complete with videos and a FREE bonus lesson — five easy tips to potty train your puppy fast. 

You’d better believe I signed up for that puppy kit and scrolled down to the bonus video on poppy training FAST. Then, I downloaded the free potty training cheat sheets, her schedule and a chart, all for FREE. Then I purchased every dang thing she recommended in her potty supply checklist (which she gets affiliate payments for). I was so thrilled with all this that by 5 am I’d already had success with getting Parker — our puppy — to do his business outside. 

And you’d better believe I’ve purchased a lot more from this lady. 

All because LITERALLY at two am I was desperate to stop mopping up pee and poo from my adorable puppy. 

Michele clearly has a FANTASTIC inbound/customer-first marketing approach that absolutely 100% works. 

Fast Answers Make a Great Hook

 The second person I found that helped with more manners and sleeping for me and our pup is Zac George. Zac has over 2.74 million subscribers on YouTube and there are a few things about him and his approach I love so much. 

First, Zac has a whole free playlist on a step-by-step guide to teaching your puppy or dog in order. I wish I’d found Zac before we brought Parker home because we would have been much better prepared. 

Secondly, Zac has an entire series that takes you through the first year with his own puppy so we can see exactly how he trained her step-by-step. 

Within 10 minutes, Zac helped us figure out a great crate and bedtime routine for Parker. All for FREE. This was a game changer because the very next night our pup slept from 10 pm to 7 am. 

I was THRILLED and completely hooked on his approach to training. So, I did what any normal person would do… I started binge-watching his videos for more and more insights. 

I can’t even tell you how much goodness I got from his free YouTube videos. And Zac is a smart marketer. In each of his videos, he has an affiliate link to various treats, toys, leashes, etc. that he recommends and I’ve purchased so many of those it’s a little nuts.

He’s also affiliated with Pupford treats, which our pup absolutely loves and I probably would never have found them without all of Zac’s insights. 

I’ve purchased more things I never knew I’d need for a pup because of Zac. And honestly, I’m super thankful for his insight because without the tips and items to purchase, I’d probably be fantasizing about getting rid of my pup by now due to lack of sleep. Thankfully, we’ve got a great pup now who’s learning more each day as I learn more. 

Zac’s approach is a bit different from Michele’s, but they each work well for their audiences. 

Knowing Your Buyer Means No Fancy Formulas Needed

Here’s the bottom line with Zac and Michele: do webinars work for dog trainers and dog training businesses? Sure… but not at the beginning. 

I NEVER would’ve signed up to watch a full webinar from either of those folks at 2 am when I was mopping my floor for the 10th time in the last 24 hours. I needed answers and I needed them fast. 

Thankfully, both these very smart marketers know that about new puppy owners and they’ve created amazing free resources that met me at the pain I was having, solved it and then helped me learn more. 

The process of selling for these two is intertwined with how they help. They’re not pushy at all. They simply show what works, how it works, why it works. Then, they offered me a chance to buy what they’re using. 

Easy, simple, no stress at all. I get to decide when to take the next step based on how it’s going with my pup. 

My question for you is this: Do you know your potential buyer this well?  Do you have a step-by-step approach to help your buyers solve their immediate problem  like puppy potty — training — and then move in deeper with you? 

That’s when you know for sure you’ve got Profit without Worry in your business. You’re not trying to force, coerce or shame someone into buying your stuff… you’re simply meeting them where they’re at and helping them in a super relevant way. 

I’m going to be honest here — it’s time to STOP with the step-by-step formulas and START to focus on how to help your audience. Step-by-step marketing formulas are never going to work until you know EXACTLY what someone is desperately searching for, exhausted and irritated at 2 am. 

Create Profit Without Worry – one system at a time. I’ll show you how to attract a steady flow of buyers without all the hustle with this free download →  5 Steps To Profit Without Worry.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Michele Lennon’s How To Train A Dream Dog website
• Zac George YouTube channel – Zac George’s Dog Training Revolution
• Zac George website – Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution
• Connect on Facebook
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Connect on Instagram
• Create Profit Without Worry – one system at a time with this free download →  5 Steps To Profit Without Worry.