IS YOUR MARKETING MESSAGE HOLDING YOU BACK? by Charlie Cook
Your marketing message is like a key. If you've got the
right one, it will help you unlock doors to new business
and start the process of converting them to clients. If
you've got one that is the wrong size or poorly crafted
you'll be locked out in the cold, wondering why your
business isn't growing faster.
Unfortunately too many independent professionals and
small business owners market with messages that just
don't work. They may be too long, too short, too
common, too dull, or too self laudatory. The result
is they don't open enough doors to new business.
Your marketing message, elevator speech, unique
selling proposition, value positioning statement or
whatever you call it needs to describe what you do
and the problems you solve in one or two sentences.
This may seem like a small part of your marketing
effort, but in fact it is one of the most important
elements and costs the least to fix.
If your marketing message helps prospects
understand how you can help them, you are in
business. If it doesn't then you'll never reach
your revenue potential.
Too Long or Too Short
When asked what they do, most people either come up
with a short label, or a long-winded description.
You may tell people you are a lawyer, a therapist,
in sales, a management consultant or a systems analyst.
The problem with labels is that they don't really tell
your prospects anything about what you do or how you
can help them.
Regardless of your specific capabilities, when you
use a label to describe yourself, people tend to
assign a stereotype, based on opinions and
assumptions. Say lawyer and people may shy away,
say banker and people think boring, say therapist
and people think of shrinks, say management
consultant and people have no clue what you do.
Your marketing message should help you distinguish
yourself and your unique capabilities. Use a label
and you'll be assigned to a category which may or
may not be favorable to you, and won't help your
prospects understand the value of your services.
Some people try to avoid using a label by launching
into a monologue listing their services and
credentials. One management consultant I met,
when asked what he did, said he would be happy to
explain, but he'd need at least a half hour. Get
and keep people's attention, start a conversation
with a marketing message that rolls quickly off
your tongue or the page.
Most people, your prospects included, scan verbal
and visual content searching for relevant
information that will help them solve a problem
or meet a need. If your marketing message is too
general or takes too long to hear or read, you are
history. Your prospects won't take the time to
find out that you may really have the perfect
product or service for their needs.
Take a look at your marketing materials or your
web page.
- Are you doing the same thing as the management
consultant above?
- Are you spending valuable time and space
describing services and credentials when you
could be leading with a succinct marketing
message that actually explains the problems
you solve?
- Or do you let yourself get stereotyped
with a label?
USE A BRILLIANT MARKETING MESSAGE
Whether you are talking to someone in person or
in your marketing materials, your objective is
to engage them, to get them thinking about
their needs and wants. Do this successfully
and they'll soon be wondering how they can't
live without your products or services.
Your marketing message should be the catalyst
to conversation. When you use it a connection
should be made between your services and your
prospect's needs. If you had a brilliant
marketing message that resonated with your
prospects wants and needs you'd have more
and more qualified prospects contacting you
and more and more business.
Does your current marketing message:
- Tell people what you do?
- Start a conversation?
- Create a perception of need?
My marketing message is, "helping small business
owners attract more clients and be more
successful". When I use it I get one of two
responses. If I'm talking to someone who isn't
a small business owner, they usually want to
know how I do what I do. If the person is a
small business owner they want to learn how I
can help them and I'm on my way to converting
a prospect into a client.
If you want to attract more prospects and grow
your business, the first step is to create a
brilliant marketing message, one you can use
in the elevator, on your business card, on
your web site and in your voice mail message.
It is not easy to describe all you do in a
sentence or two. Capture the essence of who
you serve, the problems you solve and the solutions
you provide and you'll have a brilliant marketing
message.
Don't let your current marketing message hold
you back. Make sure you have one that works
as a key to attracting attention, engaging
prospects and opening the door to new business.
-
2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
===================
The author, Marketing Coach, Charlie Cook, helps
independent professionals and small business owners
attract more clients and increase their earnings
with the 5 Principles of Highly Effective Marketing.
Sign up to receive the Free Marketing Guide and the
'More Business' newsletter, full of practical tips
you can use at http://www.charliecook.net
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