Brand Marketing: Sell Your Brand’s Sizzle
“Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle.” ELMER WHEELER
Any good marketer will tell you that you don’t sell the steak; you sell the sizzle.
“What we mean by the ‘sizzle’ is the biggest selling point in your proposition – the main reasons why your prospects will want to buy. The sizzling of the steak starts the sale more than the cow ever did, though the cow is, of course, very necessary!
Hidden in everything you sell, whether a tangible or an intangible, are “sizzles.” Find them and use them to start the sale. Then, after desire has been established in the prospect’s thinking, you can bring in the necessary technical points.” ELMER WHEELER

Can You Spot any Sizzle?
Here’s a fun little test for you. Take a look at some of your competitors’ websites, or even just some websites at random. Chances are you’ll see two things:
- A lot of back patting and not enough information for the visitor. While you do have to talk about your business, products, or services, many businesses go on and on about themselves at the expense of ignoring why visitors came to the site in the first place—to get information and answers to help them solve their problems.
- A bland, even boring list or description of products and/or services. Sure, it’s necessary to tell visitors what products and services you provide, but it’s pretty hard for anyone to get excited about your products or services if don’t explain them in detail.
It’s rare to come across a website that really appeals to your emotions and contributes to brand awareness. That’s because they’re appealing to the left side of visitors’ brains.
Sizzle appeals to the right side of People’s brains
The left and right sides of the brain each have certain characteristics and make decisions in a very different way.
- The left side of the brain processes information analytically and in an orderly manner. It lines up all the pieces of a puzzle in a logical order and draws a conclusion.
- The right side of the brain processes information intuitively and holistically. It first sees the big picture and draws a conclusion, then arranges the pieces to support that conclusion.
- The left side of the brain is logical and practical; it sees the steak first. The right side is emotional and creative; it sees the sizzle first.
Getting to the right side of the buyer’s brain before the left side has a chance to join in is winning a major battle. It’s making that all-important positive first impression.
Market your sizzles
What are your sizzles? As Elmer Wheeler says, “The sizzle is the tang in the cheese, the crunch in the cracker, the whiff in the coffee, and the pucker in the pickle.” Figure out what people really want from your products and services, and sell your sizzle, not your steak.