by Tom Trush

How you're perceived when marketing to your prospects comes down to two factors.

Neither one has anything to do with experience ... schooling ... years in business ... location ... skill level ... budget ... or technical knowledge.

Instead, the two most critical elements in a marketing relationship are the frequency of your interaction and the value of your communication.

Simply put, you must contact your prospects often and give them information they view as valuable.

Think of the courtship process in marketing as being similar to your relationship with your spouse or significant other. It's safe to assume the connection you have now isn't the same as when you met for the first time.

Your relationship took time to develop, right?

In the case of a marketing campaign, the common mistake is trying to rush the relationship by initiating contact only when you have something to sell.

Can you imagine the relationship you'd have with your spouse or significant other if the only time you talked to him/her was when you sought out personal gain? You don't have to be Dr. Phil to realize your "relationship" would sour quickly.

The reality is people are more likely to buy from you after you've gained their trust and established a relationship -- outcomes that require time and frequent contact.

Make sense?

The bottom line is you must prove to your prospects you care about their needs before you'll have any success pitching your product or service.

When I tell people how often I e-mail my list, I often get surprised responses. Many find it shocking that I put my marketing message in front of the same prospects and customers at least once or twice a week

The questions usually sound something like ...

"Don't your subscribers get upset?"

"Aren't you worried about people ignoring you?"

"Do you get a lot of people unsubscribing from your list?"

The foundation of any personal relationship is figuring out what the other person wants -- and then helping them achieve that outcome. In the case of my e-mails, my primary goal is to give you information you can immediately use in your business.

As a result, rarely do prospects unsubscribe or get upset when they see my e-mails.

Of course, I'll occasionally offer opportunities to buy something. But that happens only after I've spent time developing relationships and delivering value.

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Tom Trush is available at https://www.writewaysolutions.com