Marketing is communication, and as simple as that statement might sound, this is where the majority of it fails miserably. We all know those who are eloquent speakers and persuasive influencers, and we also know others who struggle to get their point across, engage with an audience, or are just plain awkward. The first you are drawn to, and the second you naturally avoid because you see them as a waste of your time. The same is true with your prospect’s perception of you.
Marketing is your message being amplified by media types, so if your message is bad, amplifying it will hurt more than it helps. The reality is, just because your prospect sees and hears your advertisements does not necessarily mean you’re communicating with them effectively. And here’s the scary part – your messaging is a nonstop conversation with your market, and you’re ALWAYS communicating something whether you realize it or not. You are locked in a give-and-take exchange with prospects, and everything you do or don’t do, say or don’t say, or try to say but don’t say well impacts their buying decision.
Tips to Communicate Well
Enter Their Conversation, Don’t Force Yours – There’s a famous marketing quote by Robert Collier that was as true in 1890 as it is today. Appealing directly to human nature, he said, “To sell effectively, enter into the conversation your prospect is already having in their own mind.” What exactly is going on in the mind of your prospects? According to a recent Healthline study, the average young adult has over 10,000 thoughts roll through their minds every single day but tend to dwell on and return to topics that are personal and immediately relatable to their lives. So, 87% of thoughts were practical and applicable: paying bills, what to eat for supper, and what choices might improve their daily lives. These are the conversations people are already having with themselves, so how do we join the chat and answer the questions they’re already asking?
Don’t Be a Random Thought – Many marketing solicitations introduce thoughts abruptly into an already confused, distracted, and overwhelmed mind. If a call to action seems completely irrelevant or unnecessary it will be dismissed immediately, and that’s where the majority fail. In 2023, the average American was hit with 6,000 marketing solicitations every single day. Combine that with a wandering mind (10,000 thoughts), and the likelihood of grabbing their attention is already low. But then, along comes bad marketing trotting in out of left field, trying to introduce a solution for a problem we haven’t yet convinced them they have.
When a homeowner gets a postcard advertising “$25 off a Spring Tune-up,” one of two things happen. Sometimes that card hits the small percentage of proactive people who were already considering calling you. Or, far more likely, they dismiss your offer completely because it’s the furthest thing from their mind at the time, and there’s just not room for thought 10,001. They just picked the kids up from soccer practice or fought rush-hour traffic home from the office. They weren’t thinking about air conditioners and didn’t want to think about air conditioners. What conversation is going on in their minds now, and how can you make your business a part of it?
Don’t Show Your Hand Too Soon – Marketing that tips it’s hand too quickly or asks for a sale before a sales pitch will always underperform. If you polled your area homeowners and asked if they needed to call a contractor today, the answer will overwhelmingly be no. That’s not a slight to you or the value of what you do, but our industry is largely reactionary. You keep your dentist’s number handy just in case you break a tooth, but you don’t normally schedule a call on a random Tuesday just because you were bored. So, when they see the card with the smiling contractor standing beside a van with a discount starburst in the top left corner, they see little real value. Remember, the service could be free, but if the prospect doesn’t feel they need it, they still won’t call. Making sure that they KNOW they need you and that you can make it worth their while is the job of your messaging.
Apply the WIIFM, and Get There Quickly – WIIFM is an acronym for What’s In It For Me, and because it’s the first question your prospects are asking, it should be your first focus. Remember, you’re asking for them to give their money as well as investments of their time and attention as well, and all those things are in preciously short supply. Don’t go anywhere near explaining what you’re offering to do until it’s clear to your decision maker why they would want you to do it in the first place. Homeowners might not think they randomly need a contractor today, but what if you changed the question? How many more yeses do you think you’d get if you asked the following:
“Hi, Joe Homeowner, Would you like to: save money on your electric bills, keep your family healthier this cold/flu season, cut down on seasonal allergies, make your life more convenient through automation? Yes? Then I’d love to tell you how XYZ Air can do all those things for you…”
Good conversation is a give-and-take, with both sides investing to keep it going. Remember, these are not simply prospects, targets, transactions, or dollar signs your marketing is chasing after. You service real people with families, dreams, ambitions, and needs. And the more your marketing speaks to those needs directly, the more it will be heard, and they’ll nod along while your copy speaks. The conversation going on inside their heads is asking how you can add real value to their lifestyle and livelihood. So, is your marketing truly communicating with them and presenting your value effectively? If not – even though you might be getting those emergency calls – the next level (convincing those who weren’t thinking about you to start now) will always stay just out of reach.
Remember, we’re here to help. Call 800-489-9099 or email [email protected] to speak with your marketing coach.