The First Thing You Say In Marketing…

People make snap judgments in all their interactions. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, you have two seconds before someone jumps to a conclusion. You have two seconds to state your initial marketing message.

On your website, you have two seconds to convey who your web page is targeting. Make it obvious through the use of headlines, layout, menu names, and graphics your exact message.

When you meet someone, how you dress, where you look, your facial expressions, your tone of voice, and the words you use all quickly tell people about you. Make yourself easy to approach and give each person your full attention.

In your emails, make your subject line both interesting and accurate. Most people look through their email in-boxes first by seeing who sent the mail, and then the subject of the email. If it doesn’t pass their internal filter, the email is often deleted even before it’s read. You don’t want emails from you to be equated to spam.

In your correspondence, make your opening sentence on-target. If your letter doesn’t give me a reason to continue reading, then I’ll quickly toss it, and read my next letter.

In your advertising, the image and headline you choose will either attract or repel the reader’s eye. The image should reflect your copy, headline, and branding. An image that doesn’t jibe with the copy quickly becomes eye candy, and reduces the believability of your message.

When you answer the phone, do people feel welcomed? Do you speak slowly enough to make sure the caller knows if they dialed correctly? Do you clearly say the name of your business?

When you leave a message, do you say your name, company name, and phone number at the start of the message clearly? Do you leave a concise message, containing all the relevant details to avoid telephone-tag?

The First Thing You Say In Marketing… - To learn more about this author, visit Jay Hamilton-Roth's Website.

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