Package Your Message

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If you can convey your value quickly, you may get a new client.
I was speaking with a friend about his business.  He lost me. He was into the ‘weeds of details’ about HOW his firm does what it does.  I just wanted to understand WHO cares about WHAT he does and WHY.

Consider a Package . . . it’s a ‘tidy bundle’ that expresses the value you offer in a way that invites inquiry by a qualified prospect.

The Hook
“How’s that work?” my friend asked.  “Well” I said, “Let’s say you’re at business meeting.  Someone asks, “What do you do?”  You tell them about your package — “We offer a People, Positions and Profits package”.  Now that’s got to capture some curiosity, right?

The Explanation
They’ll ask, “What’s that?”  You say . . . “Do you know how if you don’t have the right people in the right positions their performance suffers and hurts your profits? . . . Well, this service makes sure you have the right people in the right positions in your company so your profits are the best they can be.”

KEY POINT:
Create a Package you can use when you meet a prospect. Let your Hook connect the ’cause’ with the ‘effect’ someone may want to enjoy (or, avoid). Then, use your Explanation to make the connection and suggest the value you offer.  Try it.  It works!
 

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Who’s Your Ideal Client?

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horsesSome years ago there was a company that manufactured a product used by groomers to make a horse’s mane and tail ‘look nice’.  It was called something like, “Mane and Tail” (obviously not the real name, but you get the basic idea).

As luck would have it, some of the horse groomers were women.  Adventurous women.  Women willing to give this product a try on their own hair!

The result?  They loved it!  It worked just as well at making their hair full and soft and shiny as it did for the manes of the horses they were grooming for horse shows and other competitive events.  Soon the word spread and sales began to rise.

After careful review of this ‘market research’, the manufacturer of this wonderful product decided that ‘women’ as well as ‘horses’ were in a unique position to benefit from this product. Even better, they learned that women were willing and able to pay a higher price for a product that did what this one did.  Next thing you know, the company ‘repackaged’ their product into a ‘for women only’ version, branded it as such and their sales went crazy.  Crazy good, that is.

KEY POINT:
Knowing who your ‘ideal client’ is will optimize your marketing’s impact on your revenues. Knowing WHAT you do and WHO cares to have you do it for them, can lead you to re-think who you’re seeking to attract as your client.  In fact, a periodic review may lead you to redefine WHO you want and WHY they want the ‘beneficial difference’ you can make in their life. And THAT . . . is powerful information for your marketing!

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Making Your Messages Effective

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In marketing, messages are important. The best ones are also designed to prompt your reader or listener to take some kind of action.

There’s a formula for doing this that is easily remembered because of a famous Opera: AIDA.
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Here’s how that works to help you create a meaningful and moving message:

A . . . ATTENTION. The first element of an effective marketing message. You need to ‘hook’ your reader’s attention or they won’t spend the time needed to get the rest of your message. An intriguing headline is usually the best way to do this.

I . . . INTEREST. The second element of a good message. This means appealing to the interests of your intended reader or listener – not about you, your product or service. That’s boorish. It’s also not interesting or helpful.

D . . . DESIRE. The third element. Effective marketing messages don’t just inform; they must also prompt people to take some action. How? Pain or Gain. These are basic human motivators.  PAIN . . . suggests a reason to act to avoid or stop Pain. GAIN . . . suggests a reason to act to maintain or enjoy something you want and value. Focus on either one and your message will be ‘motivational’.

A . . . ACTION. The last (but not least) element. OK, you’ve hooked someone’s attention, captured their interest, and stimulated their desire to do something.  Now what? Simple. Invite them to do something. In marketing, it’s called an ‘offer’ or ‘call-to-action’.  Make it a good one . . . and easy to take . . . and a qualified prospect for your business will take you upon on it more often than not.

KEY POINT:
Effective marketing messages are formulaic. AIDA is one such formula.  Once you know the ‘formula’, you can replicate it. And repeated use of a winning formula will help you go to the bank a little more often and . . . with a lot more money.

P. S.
 If your marketing messages aren’t as effective as you’d like, CALL ME.  Let’s discuss what changes will make them more productive — 860-798-6964

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Why is ‘New’ and ‘Improved’ So Important?

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You’ve probably heard of Groupon, right?  It’s the ‘daily-coupon-in-your-email-so-you-can-save-money’ service that just turned down a $6 Billion (yeah, with a ‘B’) offer from Google to buy them out.  The 28 year old CEO of Groupon must have been either a) drinking or b) smoking something to turn down that offer.

Groupon’s CEO forgot two key concepts in marketing . . . “NEW” and “IMPROVED“.

Google quickly responded by deciding that, since Groupon’s concept is so good, Google will create their own version of it . . . and they already have $6 Billion dollars to do it!
What’s really sad is not that Groupon said, “No, thanks” to Google.  It’s that Groupon forgot the basis of true market differentiation.  You have to be BOTH 1) unique and 2) beneficial.  Groupon was both.  Now, thanks to Google, it may be only one.  And now, Groupon can take it’s place in the middle of the ‘pack’ . . . it was and could have been the market ‘leader’ but it forgot about what ‘standing out’ requires.

KEY POINT:
You must be both UNIQUE and BENEFICIAL to differentiate your business.  Assuming you’re beneficial, you have a limited window-of-opportunity in which you’ll also be unique.  Sooner or later, if you’re really beneficial . . . your competitors will be on to you and that, my friend, is why ‘New and Improved’ gets such traction in marketing!

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The ‘Dark’ Side of Facebook?

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facebook –– is a social (media) phenomenon.  2010 advertising revenues topped 1.86 Billion! While it may have taken its sweet time figuring out how to monetize itself, it’s finally done so with a vengence.  And that should continue in 2011.

Soon, you’ll be seeing a new kind of advertising on facebook –– the ‘Sponsored Ad’:

This is a development you’ll want to be aware of; perhaps ‘BEWARE’ of it is more accurate!

How It Works: whenever you ‘like’ or ‘check-in’ with a business that is using this sponsored ad model, not only will your action be posted to your news feed but, at the same time, it will be used as a ‘paid advertisement’ by the advertiser — in this example, Starbucks.

Here’s The Problem: You can’t ‘opt-out’ of having your behavior (and, photo!) used as a commercial ‘word-of-mouth’ promotion and implied endorsement for a facebook advertiser!

The fact is that facebook intends to use your image and endorsement without your permission and without compensation.  Personally, that doesn’t feel right.  I’d like to give my permission to use my behavior and photograph in a commercial message disguised as a ‘word-of-mouth’ endorsement.  But wait . . . I’m not paying facebook a penny to use it, am I?  Well, there you go.

In business, you get what you pay for.  And if you don’t pay for something directly, you will pay for it in other ways.

KEY POINT:
Advertising revenue is a significant and powerful driver for facebook.  Just make sure you know if, how and when you’re helping to create that revenue!

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“Got MOTS?”

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Like the famous Got MILK? commercials, I wonder if you ‘Got MOTS’ . . . Moments Of Truth.

Of course you do.  Why?  Because every contact with a client is a ‘Moment of Truth’.

Local business consultant, Carl Swanback wrote an article for the NGCOA (National Golf Course Owners Association) in which he makes an important point:
The EXPERIENCE a client has with your business . . . can make you or break you.

Your real challenge is managing . . . to create an attractive client experience consistently. Just remember that client BEHAVIOR follows their EXPERIENCE — good or bad — with you.

In this model I use in my consulting, you can see that the ultimate metric of your business’ success — REVENUE — reflects the degree to which you create experiences, consistently, that are emotionally pleasing to the people you wish to attract and keep as your clients.

KEY POINTS:

  1. The EXPERIENCE you offer your client is the ultimate DRIVER of your success
  2. Effective management . . .  is the KEY to an attractive experience for your client
  3. A client’s experience (and, brand preference!) is . . . 100% under YOUR control
  4. Make sure the experience you GIVE . . . is the experience  your client WANTS
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30 Seconds to $30K — Guaranteed!

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If you’re reading this, “Thank You”.  You’re helping me make a point about marketing communications — RELEVANCE is key.

Whether you wanted a way to make $30K or you just wanted to prove what ‘BS’ this must be . . . it worked!

In marketing communications, there are four points to consider and use if you want response-able communications:

  1. Focus on your READER’s interests, not you, your product or service (at least initially!)
  2. Focus on his or her PROBLEMS . . . the ‘Pains’, not you, your product or service (at least initially!)
  3. Suggest remedial SOLUTIONS and STRATEGIES . . . to help your reader get what she wants
  4. Invite ACTION . . . not necessarily a ‘purchase’, but an appropriate ‘Next Step’ they can take with you — e.g. ‘Download a complimentary Special Report . . . “

KEY POINT:
Marketing communications that are most effective are:

  1. tailored to address the interests of a specific market — a ‘target’ market of yours
  2. designed with a specific person clearly in mind (not quite the same as #1 above)
  3. delivered at ‘just the right time‘ (When’s that?  You don’t know?  So communicate CONSISTENTLY!)
  4. ending with a clear ‘Call To Action’ — that is a progressive step toward your ultimate objective — a valuable relationship
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Relevance!

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Have you ever received a promotional marketing letter that was perfect in every way except one . . . it didn’t appeal to you?

Even if a message is well-crafted and coupled with a strong offer but it has no relevance or interest to you . . .  it can do nothing of value for the marketer who sends it to you.

KEY POINT:
Understanding WHO you’re seeking to appeal to gives you the clarity and insight you need to craft a compelling message and a response-able offer, as well.

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Is There Majesty in What You Do?

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Years ago a man walked past a construction site in New York City where a new building was being built.

Curious, he peered through a cut-out in the wall and saw some workers nearby.  He entered the site and approached the workers.

“Tell me”, he asked of a man laying bricks, “What are you doing?”  The man shot back, “What’s it look like I’m doing?  I’m a bricklayer!”

He approached another worker.  “Tell me”, he asked of a man sawing wood, ‘What are you doing?”  That man said, “What’s it look like — I’m a carpenter!”.

Turning to leave, he approached a young worker who had one of the dirtiest and least impressive jobs on the site — mixing mortar.

cathedral“Tell me”, he asked of the young man, “What are you doing?” The young man took a moment.  Then he said, “What does it look like?  I’m building a cathedral, sir!”.

KEY POINT:
It’s so easy to miss the ‘majesty’ and ‘meaning’ of what you do FOR your clients — especially so if you focus more on HOW you do what you do than what it means to your clients.

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Mixing Media Means Money

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Media is the ‘means’ of carrying your message to your market.  Increasingly, online media includes not only your website but the media it contains.

Take VIDEO.  It’s engaging.  It’s consistent.  It’s inviting of the response you want from visitors.  Here’s a good example from the email solution provider called Bronto:

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Using video to provide testimonials — in  lieu of text — is a powerful way to get your message across.

KEY POINT:
in the 1960’s Marshall McLuhan wrote “The Medium is The Message”.  Digital media — like video on your website — brings new meaning to that statement and new opportunities for you

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