Hi,
Waved at one of my "ships in the night" neighbours yesterday as I was down at the end of the driveway.
Twenty years of "hope it gets warm, soon how ya doin's and what's your daughter up tos."
Anyhow, last night was daughter night.
And instead of the usual she's doing great, he proceeds to tell me she just got her B. Ed degree and she's out pounding the pavement and nurturing relationships with school principals in hopes of finding
something.
He's about my age and as I discovered, an old school sales guy.
We got to talking about how important it is for young people to learn how to COMPETE for what they want.
It got me to thinking how uncompetitive many business owners are when it comes to their marketing.
Today's article focuses on the importance of going beyond simply saying, "here I am, stop me
when you see something you like".
It NEVER ceases to amaze me at how many websites I come across that are simply online brochures.
That's sorta okay if you sell STUFF. But if you're
selling YOU - your ideas and concepts - the online store approach is never going to be as effective as it could be because there's no selling going on.
Read today's article and see if what you think.
Are you guilty of this costly show and tell mistake?
When you go into a store, you know the minute you walk through the door, you're going to see stuff.
It's everywhere.
And you don't have to do any work to see it because someone has laid it all out there right in front of you - usually it's got the price right on it.
The idea behind in-person shopping is simple:
Here's what we've got. Here's what it cost. Do you want one?
You can usually
touch it. Try it on...etc.
And as far as direct competitors go, there are probably a few others within walking distance.
But, for the moment, you have your prospect's UNDIVIDED attention.
Now, follow me over to cyberspace to your website.
Chances are, your prospects already have an idea of what you offer when they arrive. Thanks Google.
Here's the difference between the store and the internet.
They are a CLICK away from thousands of competitors who offer what in their minds, is exactly the same thing you do.
Prospects think that way.
It's our job to change that with our online messaging.
And that, dear reader, is where "show and tell" on the internet completely falls apart.
Even though, in your mind you are clearly a far superior choice, the reality is your prospect has lumped you in with the other guys.
Let's break that thought down a bit...
In YOUR mind - This is where so many marketers lose the race out of the gate. You know all the great things about your service or product. You've lived and breathed it every day. If we sat down and I asked you what makes you the better choice over your
competitors, you could instantly list of 3 or 4 things. But if you don't find a way to communicate that in your messaging and make sure it gets into your PROSPECT'S mind, it's meaningless.
Clearly the superior choice -You MUST think you have a superior service or product.Unfortunately, many business owners never make this value
visible to the prospect in their website copy or any other other sales copy, for that matter. Keeping the value you offer secret ain't going to put food on the table or put you at the front of the line for Taylor Swift tickets.
Lumped you in with the other guys - The selling STARTS immediately when the prospect gets to
your site. So many marketers I speak with don't understand why they are constantly getting into a bun fights with prospects over price. If you know someone like this, pass along this insight. The reason price becomes an issue is because the prospect has not been given a satisfactory answer to the ultimate question every prospect arrives with: Why should I pick you over every other option out there ? That's where the rubber hits the road.
Prospects use the internet to get information they can use to make an educated buying decision.
You're job, using your copy, is give it to them.
To me, there's a huge void in the industry of website creation.
Every business owner knows they need a website if they are going to be taken seriously. But very few understand how important the copy is.
Getting a website? No-brainer. Call up a web designer. Home and cooled out right?
That's what many think.
Here's the problem: If the web designer you choose doesn't know how to sell, you're never going to get the sales results you could.
By definition, web designers like to make things pleasing to the eye. I get that. It's important to have strong design.
But a "thinking" web designer - one who understands the value of a lifetime customer - would make sure a site has great design AND a compelling sales story.
That way, the client gets results instead of a brochure site that does nothing more than give him a
weak presence in cyberspace.
It's the sales story the qualified prospect is after.
If they don't get it, then they start focusing on getting the price down.
If you're showing and telling, my recommendation would be to start showing and SELLING.
That's it for this week.
