Revlon founder Charles Revlon explained, “In the factories, we make perfume, but in the stores we sell hope.” Every communication of Hudson Valley organizations should address customer needs, giving them a feeling of happiness and hope.
Don”™t confuse people. Few can reconcile the concepts of “small or mid-sized” with “premier provider.” Small organizations have “realistic” positives and should stress their advantages, such as responsiveness and individual attention.
Getting prospects to move from how they see you now to how you wish them to see you, may require a huge push. Ask yourself, “How do I want my customer to see this business?” “Why should they buy from me?”
If you think you don”™t have to focus on the question of “why”, consider Sears. At one time, they were the dominant retailer. They tried to be everything to everyone, and as a result, were knocked from their lofty perch.
The customer sees a brand as a warranty. Although generic products can offer the same quality, name brands are priced up to 40 percent higher and represent 13 of every 14 sales. Just like Sony, Disney or Microsoft, you can brand your company.
The Harvard Business Review said that companies stressing differentiation beat cheap prices every time. A bright red Porsche 911 differentiates itself. The message is singular and tangible. Finding the tangibility of a product is usually easy, but, since services are intangible, marketing must make them more real.
Because people cannot see your service, they will trust what they do see, your business card, car, office furniture, and even your shoes. Remember, people relate much better to other people than they do to objects. Seeing who is saying something helps prospects buy.
Additionally, like clever journalists and great lawyers, organizations that tell true stories make their presentations more interesting, personal, and persuasive. Stories can also help you to overcome the stereotype about your particular service. People expect doctors to keep them waiting, accountants to be humorless and lawyers to be greedy.
Also, avoid vague generalizations. Tell people, in a single, compelling sentence, why they should buy from you rather than someone else. We”™ve all seen the builder”™s sign at a subdivision entrance that says, “If you lived here, you”™d be home.” A favorite restaurant of mine in the Catskills says, “Eat here or we”™ll both starve to death.”
The most compelling selling message is not that you have something fabulous to sell. It is, “I understand what you need.” Prospects care about themselves and what they need. Sell how your service meets the prospect”™s needs.
Failures in service are obvious, but most successes are invisible. In “Everything Counts,” author Gary Ryan Blair says, “The ”˜little things”™ often make a huge difference.” Make sure your customers know what you have done for them. Don”™t expect people to appreciate how hard you have worked, how much you have cared, or how well you have performed.
In any successful marketing strategy, people must know what you do, that you do it well and why you”™re different. People are busy, frustrated, unpredictable, temperamental and often irrational. They don”™t have the time or interest to figure it out. It”™s the job of the organization, large or small, to clearly position itself in the mind of the customer and demonstrate how and why they”™re the customer”™s best choice.
Questions for discussion:
Ӣ What do our customers and prospects really care about and how can we show them that we understand their needs?
Ӣ How can we differentiate ourselves so that our customers and prospects easily understand why they should buy from us?
Joe Murtagh is The DreamSpeaker, an international keynote speaker, meeting facilitator and business trainer. For questions or comments, Joe@TheDreamSpeaker.com, www.TheDreamSpeaker.com or call 800-239-0058.
