If you are marketing a solution to the public safety market and do not understand the role Federal, Private, and State Grants play in your success, you are risking the long-term success of your business and career. In my 20 plus years of selling, marketing, and consulting in the public safety market, I have seen companies close their business because they didn’t take the time to learn how the grant funding game works. We first need to look at the public safety market and understand what is going on.
For 20 plus years, the problem is still the same. State and Local Government End Users need and want either equipment, software, or training. Businesses educate end-users on their solutions. Finally, the end-user commits to making a purchase. However, the end-users do not understand how and where to find the money. The result for public safety agencies is continuing to perform their duties and responsibilities without the best equipment that:
- Save Time
- Save Money
- Reduce Liability
- Save Lives
Peter Drucker viewed marketing as follows:
“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sells itself… The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous.”
In the public safety market, I have seen a lot of talk from businesses about their “widget,” if you will, and not many questions directed to their audience. However, we should understand and appreciate public safety agencies’ challenges in obtaining the best products, software, and training as solution providers.
The outcome needs to be to increase your leads and drive more traffic. Set up meaningful conversations for your sales team so they can set appointments, ask questions, and show solutions.
When a business understands the grant funding process for the public safety market, it provides them the following marketing advantages:
Marketing your product with Grant Funding solutions produces an exponential number of leads than just marketing your solution alone. In addition, this strategy empowers the end-user to have a dialogue they usually wouldn’t because they need your solutions. Still, they have no money to purchase and thus wouldn’t start a conversation with your company.
When I speak to businesses, their focus is on the customers they are currently engaging. I remind them to think about the number of end-users visiting their tradeshow booth and reading their advertisements, yet do not have a conversation with them because they do not have any money. The psychology of the public safety market is that if they have no money, they will not start a conversation, even if they need and want the solution.
Below are two questions for you to think about when understanding the grant funding process and the role marketing plays.
- On a scale of 1 – 10, 10 being the highest, how impactful is your marketing?
- What do you do differently than your competitors when it comes to marketing?
- If you understood grant funding, how would it impact your marketing?
If you want to solve the public safety market’s problems successfully, you need to not only have the best solutions. In addition, you must understand where the funding is for your solutions.
I have consulted and taught 1000s of public safety agencies and businesses how to play the grant funding game. Please feel free to contact me or come to one of my FREE Grant Funding Assistance Strategy Classes to learn more.
My goal is simple: To solve the public safety funding problem!