Without a doubt, many responses would relate to generating new revenue. That's understandable because sales are often the result of a strong marketing strategy.

But focusing solely on sales is the reason why so many business owners get frustrated with their marketing efforts. The true purpose of marketing comes long before a prospect even considers buying your product or service.

Marketing involves educating your prospects in a way that persuades them to choose your product or service over any other option.

To achieve this objective, you must stand out from your competition. The problem is too many business owners use copycat approaches based on others' actions in the same industry. As a result, every marketing piece -- regardless of the company -- has identical characteristics.

All the websites have the same look ... all the advertisements make the same offer ... all the brochures use the same type of images ... all the mailers tout the same benefits ...

If you duplicate others in your industry, you drown your message in sea of marketing mush. It becomes impossible for you to separate your product or service from anyone else's. So all you end up doing is wasting your time and money.

When marketing your business, don't be afraid to embrace the contrarian mentality and take your position as an industry leader.

Of course, you'll run into naysayers because anyone can claim a different marketing strategy won't work -- and then do nothing to prove it. After all, criticizing anything you're not directly involved with takes zero effort.

Take a look at your marketing materials today and ask yourself the following question: "How am I educating prospects so they understand my product or service is the obvious choice when compared to the competition?"

Please feel free to share this e-mail with the people in your network.

Sincerely,

Tom Trush

Get more free articles, videos and expert interviews at http://www.writewaysolutions.com/blog. Also, if you have a copywriting or marketing question you need answered, just click reply and your message will come directly to my personal inbox.

P.S. If you're ready to step outside your marketing comfort zone, then get your hands on Bill Glazer's "Outrageous Advertising That's Outrageously Successful." Bill's book offers so many proven strategies you'd need a lifetime to implement them all.