Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The #1 Marketing Mistake

The #1 Marketing Mistake

What is the number-one marketing mistake business people make? Not messaging themselves and their businesses properly. You can set your marketing budget as high as you like, but if your messaging fails to properly position your firm, you have wasted your money.
Many business people assume that they need to be doing more if they want to win more business. Sometimes, it is just a matter of rewording and better defining the core of who you are and what you do as a company that makes all the difference.
I hear from businesses all the time complaining that their website isn’t working, their website bounce rate is high (people leave the home page without clicking on any other pages in the site), the phone doesn’t ring, no one comes to their events and referrals aren’t coming in they way they once did.
For solutions, we look first to the firm’s website and specifically at the messaging on the website. If a firm has not explained who they are by focusing on short, memorable and clear descriptions of what they do and the compelling benefits, the results are often lacking.
If you want to increase your marketing success, start first with re-messaging your website and then your other marketing materials. Focus on the unique benefits of your firm using succinct and powerful words that mean something to those who will be reading. If you don’t know what is unique about your firm, start there. Ask people what makes you and your company unique and discover why people decide to work with you.
Being able to clearly define what makes you different and why people choose to work with you will transform your messaging. You will find that it is much easier to get people to take the action you want when you use the right words.

Believe in your message

The biggest sale you will ever make in your career is to yourself. Before your clients buy from you, you have to believe in your message. Your No. 1 priority is to believe in what you do.

You are important: Why? Because many of our institutions may not be able to keep the promises they have made to the American people. The federal government may be forced to cut benefits for programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. State and local governments could reduce or eliminate pensions and promised health insurance benefits.

We must make our prospects and clients understand the only one who takes care of you is you. You can make them understand that by asking questions, such as: "What do you think will happen to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, health care and your pension?"

Such questions help them confront buried feelings. This sounds hurtful. It isn't. I say to clients, "There have been bad times before. Did some people make money during those times? Who made money? Was it people who planned and prepared for volatile times, or people who waited and did nothing? Which do you want to be? When do you want to get started?"

Achieve self-reliance: Your prospects and clients can achieve self-reliance. But you must ask questions and provide solutions with the strong belief that success is possible. Take these steps to strengthen your presentations -- and belief system.

 Prepare a presentation filled with amazing questions. Professionals never "wing it." Learn your products. Practice on friends and relatives first. They will tell you what is good and bad about your presentation. I guarantee when you have made 10 presentations you will become one of the best in your industry and your confidence will soar.
    Finally, surround yourself with people who believe. Their belief rubs off on you.

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