YES – this is the last in this series about MARKETING TWEAKS focused on helping you make your marketing actually get you more clients!!!?
Two weeks ago, we addressed how you have to stay TOP OF MIND with your prospects otherwise they forget about you. I call that consistent outreach and it is one part of a 3-step client attraction formula.
Last week, we talked about how important it was to have a clear offer that is well priced, well packaged and irresistible for your clients.
Today is the last part of a 3-part client attraction formula and the tweaks you could make around your Clear Message.
In my opinion, these last couple of tweaks are the most vital to your marketing. WHY? For a couple of reasons …
- The tweaks you make to your ‘clear message’ are just words. It’s going to be easy to implement these changes and transfer them across all of your marketing, including your website and your social media.
- Having a clear marketing message is the first step in a simple sales funnel that can be used for any business or industry (step 2 – website; step 3 – lead generation & capture; step 4 – cultivate/nurture; step 5 – convert). Getting this part right is like building a strong foundation for your house!! Get it wrong and nothing in your marketing works the way you had hoped!
The top 3 common marketing tweaks with respect to your CLEAR MESSAGE are:
1. 3 DEADLY WORDS — If you’re like me, you’ve probably attended hundreds of networking events and you heard some very poor introductions. One of the biggest leaks is when business owners introduce themselves and their business using what I call the 3 deadly words …. I am a ____________ (financial advisor, real estate agent, health coach, etc.).
When you answer using those 3 words, you are actually talking about a career path – which doesn’t interest potential prospects. Subconsciously, prospects want to know what you can do for THEM (as above – results or desired outcomes).
Secondly, when you use the words, I AM A, you are putting yourself into a box or category with all the other financial advisors, real estate agents or health coaches. You aren’t being perceived as different. In your prospects mind, you aren’t answering the question – why should I choose you?
2. SPEAKING EXPERT VS CUSTOMER LANGUAGE – Have you ever been to the doctor and had them explain the results of a report and you just wish they would speak to you in ENGLISH instead of their ‘expert doctor language’?
Well as experts in our own businesses, we have to stop speaking expertise and speak ENGLISH to our clients so that they understand. In fact, we need to speak at a grade 4 level – avoiding words such as transformation, empowerment, humanizing, etc. These just aren’t words that are remembered!!
A great book on the subject is Lingo by J. Shaw where he explains how we must talk using the words our customers would use.
So be sure to use simple language when communicating what your business does.
3. SHORT, MEMORABLE, REPEATABLE – Have you had someone explain their business and they ramble on and on? It seems to take forever for them to get to the point and by that time you’ve forgotten what they said at the beginning?
Most business owners have trouble explaining what they do mainly because we are passionate about our businesses, and we want to tell our prospects everything about our business. Unfortunately – that’s a big mistake.
According to a study by Microsoft, the average human being now has an attention span of eight seconds (Jan 22, 2018). This means that our core marketing message needs to be short – after 8 seconds our prospects mind starts to wander, and they have forgotten what we said at the beginning. Next time you’re listening to an elevator pitch – see if you can remember/repeat the beginning, middle & end of someone’s infomercial!
I’m suggesting that you’ll be more memorable when you explain what you do in 8 seconds or less, or as I like to call it a TWITTER PITCH (140 characters) or about 10 words or less!
Here’s an example. If someone asked me what I do, I could answer – I help my clients create marketing that actually gets them clients and grow their business (91 characters and if I wanted to use just a few words, I would use the underlined portion).
See how this is based on the results that my clients get!!!
To be effective, your marketing message needs to be short, memorable and repeatable!
Now it’s time to diagnose your business. Using the idea of a TRAFFIC LIGHT – how would you rate your CLEAR MESSAGE?
RED – You have great difficulty explaining what you do so that prospects actually listen and hire you. You might not be getting enough clients or enough of the right kinds of clients. You might be attending networking events with little or no results from your efforts.
GREEN – You can easily explain your business in less than 10 words; it’s short, memorable and repeatable. You have enough of the right kinds of clients. When you attend networking events, people lean in and are curious – they ask you questions and are interested in what you do. They might say something like – oh, I know someone that could use your services; or I could use your services.
YELLOW – You are somewhere in between. You are still overwhelmed with marketing and perhaps don’t have as many clients as you would like.
So how did you rate? Still some room for improvement?
No worries!!! If you have more REDs than you would like with respect to your marketing, I’m inviting you to attend this Friday’s workshop in Ottawa – HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS so that prospects listen & hire you.
For you, my clients, it’s only $197!!!!
Imagine making some wording tweaks on your website, your elevator pitch, etc. and getting more clients.
What’s one new client worth to you?
So, join me – Friday – February 28th at Collabspace!!!
Diana
PS.
REGISTER HERE –— HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS SO THAT PROSPECTS LISTEN AND HIRE YOU. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/539859946735792/
If you missed them:
Part 1 of this series (here)
Part 2 of this series (here)
Here is a video of Diana delivering the PLUG YOUR MARKETING LEAKS workshop.
