There's a strange condition that seems to befall business owners when they set about the vital task of marketing their products and services.
I don't think it's made it into the medical dictionaries yet, but I believe they call it Getting-Your-Name-Out-There-itis.
It seems to affect the brain mainly. Makes otherwise sensible people think that by somehow making people aware that their business, their products or their services exist, that they'll suddenly beat a path to their door wanting to buy them.
The root cause of the disease is usually that the business owner has fallen in love with their products and services. They know all about them. They can see how much everyone needs them.
If we can just get our name out there, they think, people will see just how great our widgets and doohickeys are.
Cue a bunch of expenditure on promotions, advertising, brochures, flyers, seo.
And very few customers to show for it.
The problem is that the business owner is projecting their own needs, knowledge and understanding of their products onto their customers. Assuming that if they can see in an instant how valuable the product is then everyone will be able to.
And of course, that's not the case.
What they need to do is slow down. Stop marketing to people and start listening to them.
If they listened to their potential customers better, they'd know exactly what the big issues and challenges that they had were. They'd see how their products or services would help them. And they see how best to communicate with those customers to get across the right message.
What To Listen To Your Customers For
There are three key things you need to listen to your customers to find out.
Decades ago, legendary copywriter John Caples said, "First you need to enter the conversation going on in your prospect’s mind".
And it's just as true today as it was then.
Rather than trying to interrupt your potential clients with what you want them to hear, start by talking to them about what they're already focused on. That way you'll get their attention elegantly and it'll feel like you're on their side.
So the first thing you need to listen for is "what are the big goals and aspirations, problems and challenges my clients face". These are the conversations already going on in their mind.
Some of these may be business level issues. The need to cut 20% from their departmental budget by spring. The need to grow revenues above the market average. The goal of doubling market share within 2 years.
And some are much more personal. The need to build up a nest egg to pay for early retirement. The goal of getting promoted within 18 months. The need to look good compared to that awful Smith guy in accounts. The desire to feel in control of your future.
Understand the big issues that your ideals clients typically face and you'll know what to focus your marketing on: the things they care about. And you'll know what elements of your product or service will be the most important to them: those that address these big issues.
Next, you need to listen for what they need to know and feel to be ready to buy from you.
This takes a bit of work. It might require you to do some market research, or to interview some of your existing clients.
You see, just because your product or service addresses an important client need doesn't mean that's enough for them to buy it or hire you. There are often many other factors.
Will it work for people just like them? Have you got proof it works? Will they get on with you? Do they trust you? Will it get results fast enough for them? Will they look good or bad in front of their friends? Is there a fallback or guarantee if something goes wrong?
Depending on the situation there are a whole bunch of questions your clients need answering before they'll be ready to buy. Understand what those usually are for your ideal clients and you can address them in your marketing.
Finally, you need to know what their current level of awareness is of you and your type of product or service.
Why is this important? Well, for example, if you're a lawyer focused on employment law and your ideal clients are small businesses with limited legal experience themselves then you're going to need to talk to them about the kinds of problems or potential problems your services solve so they can identify whether they have them in their own business.
If your ideal clients are general counsels in major corporations it's a completely different picture. Talk to them about the basics of employment law problems and they'll find it patronising and a waste of their time. They'll want to get into the specifics. How is your service different to the myriad of other law firms they know? What's your track record? etc.
Listen to your clients. Answer those three questions and you'll know how to focus your marketing - whether it's adverts, blog posts, flyers or your website services page.
The topics you cover should be the big goals, aspirations, problems and challenges your typical clients have.
The way you talk about them should be based on your ideal client's typical level of awareness. For "newbies" start with problems and move to solutions. For experienced buyers talk abotu the detailed features and benefits and your points of difference.
And where you need to lead them, the messages you need to get across when you communicate, come from the things they need to know and feel to be ready to hire you.
Listen to find the answers to those three question. Put them at the core of all your marketing.
Then instead of just "getting your name out there" you'll be communication with your potential clients in ways that they care about, and that lead them to buy from you.
Start Listening. Start Marketing Effectively.
