With all due respect to Vince Offer and his ShamWOW pitch, nothing sells itself. No matter how great your product or service is, if you do not market it you will not sell it.
Ask James and John Ritty, the inventors of the cash register. In an era when many shopkeeps were losing revenue to employees with sticky fingers, the Rittys’ invention should have been a smash hit. But they struggled to sell their invention — most likely because they were unable to properly market it.
The Rittys sold their patent to a group of men who ultimately founded the National Cash Register Company, which now reports more than $6 billion in annual global revenue. Obviously, those guys knew how to market.
Put the ShamWOW on a shelf, and it’s just another towel. Why should I buy it? Now, put Vince Offer on TV showing me how well the towel soaks soda out of carpet, and I’m hooked. Yes, Vince, even ShamWOW can’t sell itself — if it could, why would they need to hire you?
The same goes for your business. No matter what product you sell or service you provide, if you don’t market it you’ll go nowhere. You don’t even need to hire Vince Offer or launch a TV infomercial to do it … though it might help!
Discussion question: If you were to lay down the clams for an infomercial, which TV pitch personality would you hire and why?
