Potential clients are busy people. So, when given the chance to communicate, how should you use what little attention they are prepared to give you?
We can learn from a toaster. They have been around forever, a long time anyway, and they have barely changed over the years. Slits you put the bread in, a dial so you can get it well and truly charred (my article, my way of making toast). Then, turn it on to get the result you want (and prove the smoke alarms work too).
Compare to a coffee maker - all automatic and impressive, doesn’t need you to get in the way, does what the writing on the box says. Yet, I still don’t quite trust it to make coffee the way I want.
Think Like a Toaster
The point of services marketing is to attract potential clients and grow your business.
And yet, the communication part of the message if often too inwardly focused; your qualifications, credentials, experience, personality, etc. That’s fine, even necessary to some degree.
But if that’s all your communication is about, you’re like a coffee maker. And, nobody really cares about the features if you neglect what matters most to everyone, what problems do you solve?
Highlight What Matters to Them
Use a super-clear headline, a simple statement like how you help clients and readers, eg., ‘A guide to navigating the complexities of retirement planning’.
Here’s The Bottom Line
Other people don’t give us much space in their overloaded brains and busy lives. When it comes to marketing, there are two options.
#1 Talk about yourself ….. I may possibly be impressed by you.
#2 Talk about me and how you solve my problems … I will hire you.
Fun Facts
Toasting was popular in the Roman Empire. The word toast is derived from the Latin ‘tostum’, which means ‘to burn or scorch. (Ha, I’m not as weird as it looks).
The first electric toaster was invented in 1893 in Scotland.
The advertisement for that toaster promised ‘perfect toast without watching’. (It hasn’t changed, the smoke or alarm tells you when it’s ready … simples!).
Comments