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Connect With Customers & Prospects on THEIR Terms to Increase Sales
| Guest post by: Lisa Manyon |
Article Overview: Are you really speaking to your customers in ways that connect them to your products and servcies? Undoubtedly you offer a product or service to your customers or potential customers. Have you seriously taken time to consider how you or your business benefits your clients? If you haven’t done this lately, take a moment to consider your customers. It’s super important. Your marketing content should be all about what your product or service will do for the consumer. One of the most common mistakes made in marketing, advertising and promotional materials is not focusing on the features and benefits of a product or service and HOW they directly benefit your core audience or target market.
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Free Download - Your Strategy For Crafting Compelling Copy Depends on Placement & Message By Lisa Manyon |
Connect With Customers & Prospects on THEIR Terms to Increase Sales
Undoubtedly you offer a product or service to your customers or potential customers. Have you seriously taken time to consider how you or your business benefits your clients?
If you haven’t done this lately, take a moment to consider your customers. It’s super important.
Your marketing content should be all about what your product or service will do for the consumer. One of the most common mistakes made in marketing, advertising and promotional materials is not focusing on the features and benefits of a product or service and HOW they directly benefit your core audience or target market.
Think about your customers likes and dislikes, figure out what makes them tick and incorporate that information to move them towards the sale. Connect with your customers on their terms with language they’ll relate to.Of course, your background and expertise is important but it’s not the most important thing to consumers. People want to know “what’s in it for me (WIIFM)”. While they may be interested in your credentials, this isn’t solely how people make decisions on who to work with.
Example: A promotional brochure for a Realtor focuses only on his experience and awards. The Realtor fails to make an emotional connection with prospects because he doesn’t include how his service will deliver what his prospects are looking for.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are looking for their first “home”. Joe Realtor is great at selling houses but doesn’t take time to truly connect with the Smith’s starting with his marketing materials. His brochure reflects his awards and sales track record. It doesn’t connect with the Smith’s because he doesn’t clearly demonstrate his ability to find them the “home” of their dreams. The Smith’s don’t really care that Joe Realtor can move property. They don’t want to buy just any house. They want a home, preferably with room to grow and raise a family. They want a Realtor who listens, will pay special attention to their needs and tells them so, upfront. Joe Realtor overlooks this vital key to connecting. It’s the reason the Smith’s don’t call Joe Realtor.
Would you rather work with someone who touts their expertise or someone who first shows you how their expertise will work for you and then has experience to back it up?
Take Action Challenge: Review one piece of your marketing or promotional materials today. Consider your business card, brochure, website, broadcast copy, billboards and even storefront signage if this applies. What message are you sending to your potential clients? Brainstorm ways you can connect to begin building relationships and move your prospects towards a sale. Now update your copy to reflect what you have to really offer your prospects (remember the WIIFM factor).
Don’t have time to focus on your copy? You know investing in updating your marketing content is a great idea nevertheless you aren’t sure you can fit one more task into your busy schedule? Instead of constantly trying to change hats, consider handing the copywriting hat to someone else. Imagine partnering with a skilled copywriter who understands your business, takes the time to build a relationship and helps you make the most of your marketing efforts. If writing content for your marketing, promotional and advertising materials is overwhelming, consider partnering with a copywriter who wants to establish a long-term business relationship. Someone who believes in your business and wants you to succeed. Wouldn’t it be nice to strategize with a professional copywriter who truly understands what motivates a sale (not to mention takes one more task off your to do list)? Again, when making your selection consider the WIIFM factor
Tell Your Small Business Story
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Small Business Email Marketing - Finding Gold in a Down Economy
Building Powerful Relationships With Your Prospects
The Power of Empathy
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About the Author: Lisa Manyon RSS for Lisa's articles - Visit Lisa's website Click here to visit Lisa's website   What to Expect When You Hire a Copywriter Saying What You Mean To Connect With Prospects Why What You Say is Just as Important as How You Say it Press Release Basics for Internet Publicity Or Mainstream Media Submission How to Formulate Your Copy to Increase Sales Nine Ways to Network More Effectively |
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Simple way to avoid Cold Calling
- Gary,
A chiropractor I work with hates cold calling (me too!) and he uses a technique to warm people up to using his services - it's so simple!
In Sales your dealing with 3 pools of people:
1. Strangers
2. Prospects
3. Returning Customers
You need to move people from one pool to the next. We'll concentrate on #1 and #2 as it's most relevant to your question.
My Clients does the following (you just have to tailor it to your situation - be creative).
My Client (we'll call him Bob) Bob leverages his time and resources to only get people that need his offer (pain relief) to put their hand up. Dealing with Strangers can get expensive and they don't like to be told what to do as they have no trust or relationship built with him.
So to get Strangers to put their hands up he writes up an offer with a free report on a particular pain relief - let's say lower back pain (note: he can simply just change lower back pain to neck pain and have a new report). and uses multiple marketing vehicles to promote the Free report - magazines, newspaper, forums, postcards, private clinics etc.
The only people picking up this information are the very people Bob would like as customers as they have Lower back pain. Bob's Free report ends with him stating his services and includes a Free in-house Consultation with no obligation.
You'd be surprised at how easily Bob converts Strangers into Prospects. Note: They become prospects when they ask for the Free Guide and in exchange provide their contact details. This gives Bob unlimited opportunity to contact them for the Free in-house consultation with no obligation to continue using him.
At this stage Bob's ability to close the sale lies in his office providing good customer service, Bob's ability to help the prospect and provide value at the free in-house consultation.
Notice, he hasn't had to pick up the phone to COLD-CALL his Stranger pool or his Prospect pool.
Hope that example helps to increase your prospecting!
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Two Useful Books To Help You Focus On The CLIENT
- Hi David,
To add to your thread, I'd like to recommend Jonathan Tisch's "Chocolates On The Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience".
Tisch's book includes content on "Welcoming Customers", "The New Art of Customization", "The Challenges of Customer Diversity" and "Offering Something Extra to Your Customers" to name a few.
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
I second the request...
Re: Email Etiquette
- [quote="jvprosperity":24jznj58]
The P.S. suggestion is good but it depends on the type of communication (e.g. Autoresponder series verses one off emails to Clients or Prospects)[/quote:24jznj58]
Andy,
You are right. I was mainly referring to Auto Responder emails. To end a normal email, I attach signatures.
Takuya
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