Educate vs. Sell - This Unique Marketing Style Will Help You Grow Your Business

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Marketing can mean different things to different people, and how someone defines it often depends on personal and professional experience. Those of us with a career in marketing have a unique perspective, but even as professionals, we each see work differently.

As you probably already know, in general terms, marketing is the means by which a person or business sells a product or service. Marketing can be subtle or bold, soft or pushy, but ultimately the goal is always to make a connection and ultimately a sale. As a marketing professional, my personal approach has always been focused on educating the customer, and it has worked for me and my . Even when I was in corporate marketing, I tried to educate rather than pressure.

Related: Your Startup's Most Important Investment Is in Customer Education

I find this approach works better for what I do because it tends to attract high quality clients who are looking for a longer term relationship rather than just a transaction. However, this may not be the right strategy for every product or service. However, now that I'm an owner, my fundamental approach to marketing hasn't changed and I only want to work with clients - in my case, dentists - who understand and appreciate how educating their patients (customers) can help them grow their business. in a meaningful and lasting way.

All of our marketing takes an 'education first' approach. It is not a problem for us to give our knowledge, because we sell almost exclusively to dentists. Providing them with information actually encourages them to be more engaged in their marketing, and that benefits them and us. This type of approach helps us establish a relationship of trust with our future clients. It also demonstrates our authority in the field, giving us credibility with the dental community.

We explain to our customers, in terms they can easily understand, exactly what we do, how we do it and why. Our customers appreciate knowing these details, because they are entrepreneurs themselves, and especially in the field of , they also believe that education is a fundamental tool to attract and retain customers (or rather, patients ). An educational approach to marketing works well in dentistry, but it is also very effective in many other scenarios in the field of marketing.

I've written two books that highlight my approach to marketing. Each book took over six months to write, and they both sparked some interest in my business. Not only do my books deal with marketing education, but they also showcase the expertise and knowledge within the company, our philosophy and our values. When someone reads one of my books, it resonates with them or not. When they do, we know they are the type of customer who will succeed with us.

Related: How to Get More Customers Without Being Pushy

As part of my mission to educate, I make a lot of knowledge available to the general public, most of it for free. My partner and I speak at seminars and give live presentations to groups of dentists at conventions and other events. We send out weekly emails, write articles and blog posts, record podcasts and make videos, all of which aim to educate dental practices on how they can get the most out of their marketing. Essentially, I'm giving away all my secrets as a marketing professional, but I'm not afraid that people who listen, watch, and read will use what I've told them without hiring my company. If they do and succeed, then more power for them.

The clients I really look for are those who see value in hiring us, because we have all this knowledge to share. These clients understand that outsourcing marketing to an expert is the best use of their time and money. Those are the...