Are Your Marketing Materials Selling the Wrong Things
Are Your Marketing Materials Selling the Wrong Things
This problem is especially rampant in service industries. But I’ve seen it with products too.
What’s so interesting is that this one, innocent mistake causes you to immediately be guilty of multiple marketing sins (If you haven’t read my f*r*e*e report on the 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins, grab it at success-stream dot com 7sins).
Once I explain it, if you’ve been making this mistake you’re going to hit yourself on the head while howling out a big, fat “DUH!” But before I do, let me ask you a question…
What do prospects really need to know to hire you?
Well, let’s start by thinking about what you would want to know…
“If you were looking for a chiropractor, bookkeeper, massage therapist, or other service provider, what would you need to know in order to choose them over anyone else?”
Chances are it would be things like:
• A bit about the types of services they offer
• If there is anything unique or different about what they do
• Whether or not the specialize in, or have experience with, your particular issue
• Who else uses them and have they been satisfied
• What you can expect and how long it will take
• How they are better or different than the competition
• Where they are located, their hours and how soon you can get in
• If they accept credit cards or your insurance
• What to do to make an appointment
What you probably don’t want—or need—to know are the basics like:
• What is massage or chiropractic or bookkeeping
• The history of massage (or chiropractic, or bookkeeping)
• Why you need a massage therapist, chiropractor or bookkeeper
Yet time and again this is exactly the type of info service providers focus on in their marketing.
The result is that they end up spending all their time and money trying to convince people they need a particular service. What they should be doing is trying to convince prospects them to hire them in particular.
Let’s go back to the client I mentioned earlier…The one that got me started on this train of thought.
When I first started working with her many months ago, she sent me her brochure to critique. As part of that process, I asked her to describe her ideal client.
She’s a massage therapist, and her answer was “Active people who enjoy regular massages and understand that massage is a preventative measure. So they come in regularly for maintenance instead of just showing up when they are injured and in pain, then stopping when they feel better.”
This is smart. Because it’s going to be much easier to convince someone who already believes in massage to come to her. As opposed to having to convince someone who has never had a massage to try it for the first time.
Yet, except for a few testimonials, her entire brochure was devoted to explaining the basics of massage and why it is good for you.
Of course this makes no sense. If the people she wants to attract already understand the benefits of getting regular massages, and are just looking for the best provider, she’s wasting space (and money) with this brochure.
Because here’s the thing…
If someone is looking for a massage therapist, chances are good they’ve already decided massage is for them. Maybe they’ve had massage before. Or their doctor or someone else in their sphere of influence recommended it.
When they pick up her brochure, or go to her Website, they don’t want to learn more about the wonders of massage. They’re already sold on it. Instead they want to know why they should choose her as their new massage therapist.
In other words, they want to understand the benefits of getting massages from her, not the benefits of getting massage.
Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs are guilty of the same thing with their marketing. They just explain why you need their type of service, but they never explain why you should choose them instead of the guy down the street.
Are you selling the right thing?
You need to decide whether to spend time and money convincing people they need the type of services you offer…Or convincing them to hire you in particular to provide that service.
I highly recommend focusing on the latter. It’s cheaper and easier, and you are far more likely to get the kind of clients you want.
So worry less about explaining the basics of what you do, and focus more on the unique benefits of choosing you.
©2008 SuccessStream. All Rights Reserved.
Are Your Marketing Materials Selling the Wrong Things - To learn more about this author, visit Stacy Karacostas's Website.
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A while back I was working with one of my consulting clients, and realized I was once again staring at what I’ve found to be an all too common marketing problem.
This problem is especially rampant in service industries. But I’ve seen it with products too.
What’s so interesting is that this one, innocent mistake causes you to immediately be guilty of multiple marketing sins (If you haven’t read my f*r*e*e report on the 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins, grab it at success-stream dot com 7sins).
Once I explain it, if you’ve been making this mistake you’re going to hit yourself on the head while howling out a big, fat “DUH!” But before I do, let me ask you a question…
What do prospects really need to know to hire you?
Well, let’s start by thinking about what you would want to know…
“If you were looking for a chiropractor, bookkeeper, massage therapist, or other service provider, what would you need to know in order to choose them over anyone else?”
Chances are it would be things like:
• A bit about the types of services they offer
• If there is anything unique or different about what they do
• Whether or not the specialize in, or have experience with, your particular issue
• Who else uses them and have they been satisfied
• What you can expect and how long it will take
• How they are better or different than the competition
• Where they are located, their hours and how soon you can get in
• If they accept credit cards or your insurance
• What to do to make an appointment
What you probably don’t want—or need—to know are the basics like:
• What is massage or chiropractic or bookkeeping
• The history of massage (or chiropractic, or bookkeeping)
• Why you need a massage therapist, chiropractor or bookkeeper
Yet time and again this is exactly the type of info service providers focus on in their marketing.
The result is that they end up spending all their time and money trying to convince people they need a particular service. What they should be doing is trying to convince prospects them to hire them in particular.
Let’s go back to the client I mentioned earlier…The one that got me started on this train of thought.
When I first started working with her many months ago, she sent me her brochure to critique. As part of that process, I asked her to describe her ideal client.
She’s a massage therapist, and her answer was “Active people who enjoy regular massages and understand that massage is a preventative measure. So they come in regularly for maintenance instead of just showing up when they are injured and in pain, then stopping when they feel better.”
This is smart. Because it’s going to be much easier to convince someone who already believes in massage to come to her. As opposed to having to convince someone who has never had a massage to try it for the first time.
Yet, except for a few testimonials, her entire brochure was devoted to explaining the basics of massage and why it is good for you.
Of course this makes no sense. If the people she wants to attract already understand the benefits of getting regular massages, and are just looking for the best provider, she’s wasting space (and money) with this brochure.
Because here’s the thing…
If someone is looking for a massage therapist, chances are good they’ve already decided massage is for them. Maybe they’ve had massage before. Or their doctor or someone else in their sphere of influence recommended it.
When they pick up her brochure, or go to her Website, they don’t want to learn more about the wonders of massage. They’re already sold on it. Instead they want to know why they should choose her as their new massage therapist.
In other words, they want to understand the benefits of getting massages from her, not the benefits of getting massage.
Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs are guilty of the same thing with their marketing. They just explain why you need their type of service, but they never explain why you should choose them instead of the guy down the street.
Are you selling the right thing?
You need to decide whether to spend time and money convincing people they need the type of services you offer…Or convincing them to hire you in particular to provide that service.
I highly recommend focusing on the latter. It’s cheaper and easier, and you are far more likely to get the kind of clients you want.
So worry less about explaining the basics of what you do, and focus more on the unique benefits of choosing you.
©2008 SuccessStream. All Rights Reserved.
Are Your Marketing Materials Selling the Wrong Things - To learn more about this author, visit Stacy Karacostas's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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