Question: What was the name of the first major deodorant company in the United States?

Answer: Odorono

In 1919, Odorono ran a magazine ad mentioning underarm odor that led hundreds of women to cancel their subscription to the "Ladies' Home Journal." The ad headline read, "Within the curve of a woman's arm." This was a relatively mild way to describe an armpit and the subject of underarm odor. But, it was also the first time that this delicate subject about ladies had been addressed. Some women were so furious they vowed to never again even speak of the magazine.

The magazine lost subscribers, but Odorono's sales increased by a whopping 112 percent. Success really does smell sweet and evidently this company really knew its target audience.

"Knowing" your prospective clients is truly the magic key to unlocking sales success. If you can touch on their unique desires and needs, you will "ring the bell" of sales success. Learn about specific market segments by studying demographic trends or doing your own local customer surveys and focus groups.

Who are you selling to? Do you know your target market? Do you even have a specific target market?

If you don't, then your ads are not making a positive impact. Learning about clients and the "connecting links" to them is the only way to grab your share of a particular market segment. Once you have learned about a specific segment can you sell all of them? No, that is not possible for anyone.

But, just like Odorono found out, if you address a real "need" with your target customers, you will gain tons of market share and blow your competitors away.

Seniorized Factoid: "Smell a little" and Sell a lot.

Published: November 4, 2002

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Gary Onks, founder of Sold On Seniors, Inc., is an author and marketing consultant who has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Times, CBS Radio Marketwatch, Microsoft bCentral and other publications. His book "How You Can Reach & Sell the $20 Trillion Senior Marketplace" is acclaimed as "the 'Art' of pleasing senior customers." Onks has sold millions in goods directly, one-on-one to seniors. His experience includes serving as executive director of a large retirement community and selling to seniors for over a decade. His trademarked Seniorized marketing methods deliver exceptional results. You can reach him at 800-416-8785, GaryOnks@SoldOnSeniors.com or at his website www.SoldOnSeniors.com.