Are You Marketing And Selling What People Buy? By Charlie Cook
Do you ever wonder
if you're speaking a different language than your prospects?
You may have recently launched a business, designed an
innovative process or purchased state of the art equipment
that leaves the competition in the dust, but no matter what
you say or do, you aren't attracting as many prospects as you
need.
Lauren called me
from Michigan with just such a concern. She and another friend
had opened a fitness salon about a year ago. After a careful
analysis of the local chain's facilities, they had invested in
next-generation equipment that provided many added features.
Yet, a year after opening, and doing every marketing activity
they could think of, they still weren't attracting enough
clients to pay the rent.
The problem wasn't
lack of effort. The problem was that prospects didn't
understand the benefits or higher value of Lauren's fitness
facility.
Remember the best
selling book "Men Are From Mars, Women Are from Venus"? A key
point of the book is that men and women see many things
differently, and express themselves differently.
If you have
children, you know that the same is true of parents and
teenagers. What's important to you is often unimportant to
your seventeen-year-old, and vice-a versa. Sometimes you
wonder if the two of you are speaking the same language.
You've probably learned to get your child's attention by
talking about their needs and interests. These may include
sports, movies and access to the family car.
Prospects and
business owners have different perspectives as well. You may
be focused on the costly and state-of-the-art equipment that
enables your enterprise to function. Your prospects primary
concern, on the other hand, is that you solve their problem or
get the job done, and your equipment and processes are or
secondary interest.
Lauren's marketing
focused to a high degree on the higher quality equipment her
salon provided. She was talking hydraulics and variable
resistance. This approach wasn't pulling in new clients.
Due to shoulder
surgery, my exercising has been recently relegated to a local
fitness salon. My objective is to stay as fit possible so when
my shoulder heals I'll be able to get back to the sports
activities I enjoy.
Do I relish
exercising on a recumbent bike or treadmill? Of course not.
When I mentioned this to Lauren she replied, "Everyone hates
the machines."
People work out
regularly because they want to achieve a particular goal. They
want to get fit or l0se those extra pounds. People go to a
fitness center like Lauren's because they want to look and
feel better. If you own a fitness salon, don't talk equipment,
talk about what it does. Talk about calories burned, wëight
lost, muscle tone, strength, feeling healthy, improving at
tennis or on the ski slope, looks and self-image.
If you want to
attract more clients to your business, whether it's a fitness
salon or your accounting practice, make sure you're speaking
the same language as your prospects. Your concerns in getting
the work done may be different than your prospects' and
clients'. They are concerned with the problem you solve for
them.
hether it's in your
ads, your marketing brochure, your web site or in your salës
conversations, speak in your prospects' language. Speak in
terms of their concerns, problems and goals. When you
communicate to prospects in terms of their priorities, you'll
get their attention and their business.
- 2004 © In Mind
Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.
About the
Author: The author, Charlie Cook, helps service
professionals and small business owners attract more clients
and be more successful. Sign up for the Frëë Marketing Plan
eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business' at
http://www.marketingforsuccess.com
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