Ann Sieg. Michael Stelzner. Seth Godin.

All three of these radical marketers have pioneered and proven a new concept in marketing: the idea that teaching sells.

Guys and gals, more than ever, want information. They have deep needs and difficult problems. The internet has taught them to go looking for knowledge to solve their dilemma before they ever go looking for a product. Even if the product is what they require, they’ll want something reliable and credible to tell them so first. They want that knowledge for free, because the internet has taught them that information should be free.

So what’s an entrepreneur to do? Become an expert and share that expertise for free, while trusting that your product or key is the one your customers really and truly require to avoid the pain of their problem for much longer.

You can do this in a number of ways.

* You can record a video.
* You can offer an e-book or whitepaper.
* You can offer a seminar or teleseminar.
* You can offer subscription to an e-mail newsletter and offer the knowledge there.

Often, when we use these methods, we use them in return for leads. The prospect signs up for the e-mail list and gets the white paper. The prospect gives their knowledge for the recurring billing membership site’s 30 day free trial and gets the free e-book. You’re selling, as Ann Sieg sold, juice, and your information teaches the audience just how badly they require the juice (Ms. Sieg made a fortune this way).

It doesn’t matter what kind of Home Based Business you’re in. As of today you are now an educator. Here are some examples of different ways you can make this work for you, depending upon the work from home opportunity that you are pursuing:

* You’re a direct sales represenatative —> Try offering a white paper that details the kinds of problems your product solves and offers some helpful (but incomplete) tips for solving those problems.
* You’re into MLM and you’re trying to build your downline –> Try presenting an e-book on using social media to increase MLM income.
* You’re a freelance web designer —> Try presenting a white paper that details exactly what steps a small business owner should take to create a truly professional website. Most people won’t want to try it themselves by the time they’re done reading this, but they’ll appreciate you showing them how if they wanted to.
* You run a virtual assistant business –> Try putting a cost comparison calculator on your website that details how much a company can save by outsourcing admin functions rather than hiring an employee to do it.
* You are an affiliate marketer –> Putting together an authority site or blog which serves the niche that your products serve.
* You’re a blogger or e-zine writer. –> In this case, keep doing what you’re doing. People are getting your free information, and the traffic itself is the product that you’re selling to the advertisers.

There are so many home business ideas out there, but every one of them can be served by you understanding your role to be “trainer” rather than “sales representative.” lecturer is also a better place to be, mentally. Salespeople push, teachers serve. Salespeople bother people, but teachers attract students.

This form of marketing is called Attraction Marketing and it’s never been so powerful, thanks to the Internet. By drawing the people who want and need to hear what you’ve got to say, you create a situation where they’ll trust you, like you, and want to deal with you…

All without a single sales pitch.