I'm Brent Goodey
You can take a 30-year experience shortcut by tapping into my 30 plus years in media, marketing and management!
Enjoy and profit from this free sample lesson
Tweak & Grow Your Business
Briefing #1
Estimated reading time 3-5 minutes
Please chisel this truth in stone:
Marketing includes every bit of contact your company has with any human being; every ad, phone conversation, email, smile or frown,- EVERY bit of contact.
That means a lot of opportunities to gain business, or lose it.
It doesn't mean just spending more money on advertising.
During this training, you will find times you'll say to yourself, "This doesn't apply to me because I don't _______ (fill in the blank). Bad idea! Please don't think that!!
A constant in life is change. Methods and media you don't use today, you might use tomorrow. Even if you don't, there is huge crossover between the latest high tech and old school (legacy) methods.
Example: a headline on a website, newspaper ad, video, or direct mail piece, can all benefit from using many of the same "rules."
Think adaptively. Ask yourself, "How does this stuff about TV ads (even if you never advertise on TV) apply to my brochure? my blog? my website? my golf game?" You'll find it usually does, except for your golf game.
You are about to learn a lot about marketing, without spending years and a small fortune. One live seminar client said he learned more practical concepts in 3 hours than in several years of college marketing classes.
Here's a vital concept many don't know, or don't use. It costs them plenty.
STRESS BENEFITS NOT FEATURES in ads, point-of-sale materials, websites, presentations, brochures, voice mail greetings, in every aspect of marketing.
If potential clients don't see benefit in your product or service, they don't care who you are, or the age of your business.
Pick up a newspaper. Check out some websites. Notice how many ads appear to be ego trips for the business owner. Or, in many cases, they just don't know anything better.
- Logos are nice.
- It's great if you have been in business for 87 years
- but the customer really wants to know...
"What can you do for ME now, today?"
If you are having a sale, S.A.L.E. should dominate your ad.
If the first 100 customers on Saturday get a toaster, make certain that stands out in your ad.
A client said he had been running a big display ad in his local paper to rent apartments in his large complex. After months of advertising, he still had many vacancies.
He showed me his ad and, sure enough, there was a big logo dominating the top of the ad, followed by a phone number big enough to be read from across the street. Then he listed some amenities which were pretty standard for the area. FINALLY, in small print at the bottom of the ad it said, "Sign a six month lease and get one month rent free."
Stress benefits, remember? I suggested the man make "One Month Free rent" a big headline and put a much smaller logo at the bottom of the ad. Two weeks later, he called, all excited, to tell me his complex was totally full.
Two weeks of emphasizing benefits accomplished what months of featuring his logo failed to do.
Here are voice mail greetings for an imaginary business.
Which do you think would bring the best results?
#1. - This is Bob. Leave a message!
#2. Acme Treats. Our phone menu has changed. If you really want to talk to a real person, press 1 or hold and we'll play some obnoxious music for you. To leave a message, press 2-3-5 rapidly three times. Or hang up and call back tomorrow.
#3. "Acme Treats, home of zero-calorie cookies. Thanks for calling. Please hold if you can. If you can't hold, please leave your name, number and a heads up on how we can help you. Response as fast as possible is our policy and promise." (keep your promise)
Do you have the following problem. Many businesses do. An easy fix TODAY will benefit your bottom line profits.
A customer calls, or an employee calls a customer. The message system is activated. Then, the person on your end talks like their hair is on fire, trying to fit four words in a time frame designed for one. Or they talk too quietly. What has been accomplished? Perhaps the message can't be deciphered. Often the customer is irritated. Bad karma!
Teach your employees, and politely but firmly remind them: Almost everyone over 50 has some hearing loss. A high percentage of younger people are losing their hearing too. Do you think it's ear buds and car stereos at volume levels that could kill a bird in flight?
Please be aware, with some hearing-impaired people, volume is not the problem. Instead, they hear the sound but, for various reasons, their brain doesn't decode the message.'
Pretend every conversation, phone or in person, is with your hearing-impaired grandpa and you really want to communicate. Speak clearly. Don't rush. Don't mumble. Don't whisper. Don't yell. Customers will be happier. Grandpa too. Yes, it is important!
If you are a "solopreneur" (no employees and/or part-time), EVERYTHING this training teaches about voice mail, prompt responses, customer relations, etc. is maybe even more important to your business
It's OK to be proud of your business, your building, your logo and so on. But if you want to continue to have a business to be proud of, stress benefits to the customer in all your advertising and marketing. And don't irritate them with an indifferent, even rude phone protocal.
Take Action:
- Evaluate your marketing messages. Do you stress benefits?
- If you have "please hold" or "go to voice mail" messages, how do they stack up against the suggestions in this Briefing? If they need fixing, today would be a great day to do that. If your smart phone is really smart, why hasn't it already done that for you?
- Constantly ask yourself: How does this training messsage apply to me? How could I tweak it?
Food for Thought ...
"Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals." -- Jim Rohn
This is the first Briefing of the acclaimed
Tweak and Grow Your Business training.