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With my daughter, I could hardly get a word in edgewise. She's a great storyteller, but she wanted to tell me everything about everyone. Neither of them were really giving me what I wanted. If these had been sales calls and I'd been a business prospect instead of a devoted parent, I'd have ended the conversation or walked away. I'd have thought, 'Great people, but they don't understand my point of view or my problems.' Does your marketing turn prospects off with too little or too much information? Do you approach your marketing from your customers' point of view? Is your marketing generating the leads you need to grow your business? If a prospect asked you what you do, you'd n.ever respond by just saying 'Stuff'. But what do you say? Do you tell them that you're in advertising, or that you are a lawyer, accountant, designer, entrepreneur, franchise consultant, realtor, trainer, or software developer? Statements like this don't start a conversation fully explain what you do or how a prospect could benefit from your products or services. These one or two word answers are the equivalent of your teenager telling you they've been doing 'Stuff'. Don't make your prospects play '20 Questions' with you to understand your business. Give them a clear, succinct marketing message that describes how you can help them and why they need you. Once you've got their attention with your marketing message, follow it up with the information they need, a clarification of the problems you solve, the solutions you provide and a reason to contact you. Make it easy for your prospects to get what they want from your marketing materials, whether you use ads, brochures, a web site or other media. - Define your prospects' most common concerns and the problems they want resolved. - Present the solutions your provide in the context of these problems. - Explain why they need you, from their point of view. - Anticipate and answer their questions. I was on the phone with Marilyn, who wanted to know what her firm could do to spread the word and get more clients. Last year they made over a million dollars, but so far this year they haven't gotten the number of inquires they need to continue to grow the company. What's getting in the way? While I was talking with Marilyn, I typed her firm's URL into my web browser to take a look at the way they are promoting themselves. I had two reactions when her site came up in my browser. One, it was very attractive and professionally done. Two, after looking at it for a few minutes, I had no idea what the company actually did, who they helped or how. There was a lot of information on the site, but it wasn't telling me what I needed to know. It took me another ten minutes and a number of questions to find out what her small business software development and computer-networking firm did. Your prospects don't have the motivation of a parent talking to a teenager. If its hard for your prospects to figure out whether or not you can help them from your marketing materials, they're gone. Don't expect them to decipher unclear copy or hunt through your web site to find the information they need. Generate more leads and sales by using a marketing message, supporting marketing copy and a coordinated marketing system that helps your prospects understand why they need you and how you can solve their problems. 2005 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Advice Home Business Technology Online Advertising Motivational Internet Marketing SEO Help Online Games Science Articles Happiness More Articles:1. Create Free Internet Buzz with Your Workforce By Ron McDaniel There are many different ways to increase your traffic on the web. Just as there are get rich quick schemes, there are get traffic quick schemes. These can backfire on you just like any other shortcut to results.As part of your overall strategy, it is possible to create a plan that will get your steadily increasing traffic, increasing visibility and results. The more employees you have that use a computer the better.Here are the key elements… 2. The Marketing Rollercoaster By Mark McCormack Ever hear someone say “Don’t listen to them! They just want to take you on a rollercoaster ride!”Many people who care about you and your well being will say something to this effect when you are provided with a business opportunity online. It is a way to deter you from joining up but what does it mean?A rollercoaster provides anxiety building climbs, adrenaline pumping falls and exhilarating twists and turns. Half the time one is unsure which d… 3. Features vs. Benefits vs. End Results By Karon Thackston If you've been in the copywriting realm for very long at all, you've heard the phrase "features vs. benefits." It's a fundamental copywriting principle and driving force behind much of what we, as copywriters, create. But there's also another aspect to this equation.What happens after customers buy your product or service? Once they've used what you have to offer, what will be different in their lives? What will the end results, of their bu… 4. Why You Don't NEED a Marketing Plan By Alexandria K. Brown If you pick up a copy of the November 2003 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, you'll see my Web site listed on page 10, along with a good amount of promotional copy.How did I get featured in a major, national magazine?Do I have a great PR person? Did I know someone at the magazine? Was this part of my carefully-crafted marketing plan?No, no, and um, no.I'll tell you exactly how I did it.Are you ready?I picked up the phone.A few months ago, I was f… |