Rather than figure out if your market needs a soft sell marketing strategy, you should first look at what you're selling. Rather than look outward first, you need to turn inside. That's where your best marketing ideas will come from — at least initially.
Marketers who rely on a hard sell approach are dependent on externals to determine their marketing ideas and techniques. Externals are absolutely necessary, but not before you choose which markets you will be selling to.
In other words, you choose your market (s) in alignment with who you are and how you want to conduct your business.
Now, there are two fundamental ways you can figure out if soft sell is the way to go.
First, apply this test. Does the market you're interested in offer ROI or ROE transactions?
ROI stands for "return on investment" and so the purpose of that marketing strategy is the increase of money.
The marketing ideas behind an ROE transaction have to do with a "return of experience." The purpose of every ROE marketing strategy is a change of life experience. That's what care-givers of every stripe offer their customers.
Second, ask yourself, what is at the base of my marketing connection?
Is it emotional or conceptual? Is my connection with my customers based on marketing ideas or does my marketing strategy call for the integrity of a vibrant emotional connection?
If your customers are more responsive to emotion — in other words they can feel you through your marketing materials — you are most likely in a soft sell market, ROE rather than ROI.
So your marketing strategy and marketing ideas should focus on emotionally connecting with your customers, because that's what they most intensely respond to.
