Here’s the quandary. . .
We always chase the next big thing. That new way our customers and prospects consume information. Yesterday we focused on email and websites. Today it’s Twitter and the rest of the social media sphere. That’s fine. We need to be where our customers are, which always changes.
But human nature doesn’t. As a marketing consultant I need to be conversant in all the new media. But as a consultant I also find myself reminding clients that BEFORE people take the time to consider why you’re the best choice, they still need to understand who you are, get to know you and feel comfortable about you.
That’s what I do. Help you understand how to persuade the people you need to persuade, regardless of the way you’re sending your message.
Any conversation about your website, search marketing and social media better address this. . .or something will be missing from the result. Like, maybe, sales!!!
So, what can you do, right now? Answer these three questions-
What are you communicating about your company before you start asking people to buy what you sell?
Hello, my name is Hamilton, nice to meet you, will you go out on a date with me? That’s probably not the best way to get a date. Or make a sale. The other person doesn’t have enough information, isn’t comfortable enough, to say yes.
Take another look at your website, brochures, emails or direct mail pieces. If you have 1,000 words, use 500 convincing the reader you understand their problem/situation, 250 giving them background on why you can solve it and 250 explaining how what you sell does solve it. Are you asking for the date too soon? Ask for something easier, a smaller commitment. Download a white paper, watch a video, go to our website, click here for more information.
Are you too focused on the medium or the tool and not the message?
New CRM software won’t fix a mediocre sales process, it just makes a mediocre sales process more efficient. Tweeting an hour a day doesn’t equal engagement with your market. Remember, you have to get your message right too.
Are you keeping it simple?
The average visitor session on a website is under three minutes with less than three pages visited. That, “in a nutshell,” is my argument for simplifying things. Nifty navigation on your site? You probably don’t need half the pages up there. Click here to learn more? You just lost half your audience. Keep it simple.
If you need more help, hire me as your Virtual Director of Messaging Marketing. $750 per month, weekly web meeting, email in between to maintain momentum.
The details of a Virtual Director of Marketing Relationship
We meet via net meeting once a week for 30 minutes.
We start at the beginning: Is what you’re trying to say getting through? Do prospects understand why you’re different, better?
I have a process I take you through that evaluates your message and methods. One step at a time.
At the end of each session you’ll leave with answers and, typically, some assignments.
I’m available between our weekly meetings via email for questions and to maintain momentum.
People change, but human nature doesn’t. It’s not enough to be sending email or redesigning your site or active in social media without getting the human nature part right. Right? Don’t you wish your website made this much sense to your visitors? It can, when you get the human nature part right. Email me and let’s talk about it.
Cost: $950 per month
With a three month minimum commitment.
Email me and let’s talk about it.
But am I someone you want to trust your marketing to? At any price?
That’s best answered by talking about a few client experiences. . .
A training company came to us after a failure to launch. They provided a wide range of in-house training courses to large companies. Their message: we provide a wide range of in-house training courses to large companies for less. We felt like this positioning could not work against larger, better known competitors. Their previous experience bore this out. We recommended instead they stake out a single course they could legitimately promote as best in class, build a campaign around that and, once “in the door,” promote their other courses. The course they selected: business writing. We created and implemented a business writing marketing campaign. Sales doubled. Now, Jonathan Clark is considered the top business writing expert in America (and rightly so!).
A contractor came to us with a patent-pending smooth pebble surface for swimming pool interiors (solving the only real drawback to a pebble surface: it’s rough on your feet). My interviews with their customers uncovered a huge hurdle that had to be overcome: a very palpable lack of trust in pool contractors. I was convinced their marketing should sell trust and not a new smooth pebble surface (leave that to the salespeople). We designed every aspect of their marketing to build trust, comfort and connection. We also implemented every aspect of the campaign and have done so for the past eight years. Their sales doubled, doubled again and doubled again. The number I’m most proud of, however: in 2009 they are ahead of last year (and profitable) in a market where most pool contractors are 40% down.
You’re this far into the page because something I said struck a chord. Call (480-948-0029) or email me right now, while you’re thinking about it. I hope I hear from you. Remember, you can’t expect different results unless you try different solutions.
