Get to the Point

A couple of days ago I came home from work and was unloading about my day to my wife. A coworker had done something rather funny and I was telling her about the situation, building the drama, including details, and really setting the stage for the “funny part.” But before I could get to the absolutely hilarious climax of the story, she turned and gave me a look that I immediately recognized. Without saying a word, she communicated very clearly, “Hey Justin, I’m going to need you to get to the point.”

As soon as I quit focusing just on my storytelling skills, I recognized the situation in front of me. She had just come in from work as well; she had two young kids hanging on her legs begging for Goldfish crackers, and I was waxing eloquently about people she did not know. It’s not that she didn’t care, wanted to be rude or didn’t want to hear a funny story, but that particular moment wasn’t the best to ask her for her complete focus on something that benefitted her with at most, a slight chuckle.

Have you ever thought about how to interrupt your prospect’s lives with your message? Are you telling stories they don’t care about? And are you taking too long to get to the point?

There’s an old saying in public speaking that says, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them.” But the truth is, you don’t have everyone locked in for a 30-minute seminar. If you aren’t clear and quick in explaining why your audience should give you their attention, it’s assumed you’re just wasting their time. And time is a commodity fewer and fewer people are willing to gamble with.

According to Statista.com, 57% of Americans prefer consuming their daily news from social media outlets, yet only 30% of people polled admit consistently trusting the information they find there. What does that tell us? Most consumers prefer their news and information delivered to them in the simplest, quickest manner, but they’re also assuming most of what they consume is probably false! Then throw in this last stat, and it makes this even more interesting. The average time people are taking to decide if something is worth their time to read is 1.2 seconds. They’re entering every interaction with an advertiser or news outlet with their default attitude already set to skeptical, and you have less than two seconds to prove your message is worth their time.

Consumers are looking at all media and asking three very simple questions, “Does this matter to me?” “Can I trust this?” and “Is this worth my time to read further?” If any of those three answers are no, you will be quickly dismissed. So, how can you be heard, be trusted and get the reaction that you want?

First, your message must be relatable. Those who never paid much attention to world events and just focused on the local news learned a valuable lesson with this pandemic. It might have started on the other side of the world, but it was at our doorstep quickly and has affected every single household in America. But for the most part, that’s the exception, not the rule. People’s attention will always go first to the things that affect them NOW, TODAY, IMMEDIATELY… so make it hit home. Lines like, “This can save you money…” or “This can make your life easier…” are marketing cliché, but they have been used many, many times in different forms for a reason.

Also, tailor your message to feel like the advice of a neighbor, not a sales pitch from a big company. Include all the specific verbiage you can about knowing their city, understanding their weather patterns, and all relevant information because you live there too! Target specific neighborhoods, and use live testimonials every chance you can.

“We were able to save your neighbors, the Johnson Family, 20% on their energy bills through this heatwave because they called us for a spring tune-up. Don’t miss your chance this fall!” will easily outsell a coupon that simply says, “$20 Off XYZ Comfort’s Fall Tune-Up Special.”

Next, whatever the message is, be truthful. As our statistics showed, people are immediately skeptical of almost all media, especially sales pieces. With political ads, misinformation about the pandemic, and clearly biased articles being the norm, we are all looking for the agenda and are incredibly guarded about being taken advantage of.

You can’t expect to completely remove a lifetime of distrust and skepticism in people, but you can do all in your power to not contribute to the problem. You can build a reputation for your company that people learn to trust, but remember, unfortunately it only takes one small mistake or slight to make that all go away. If you put it in writing, consider it ironclad or don’t say it. And don’t depend on the fine print at the bottom to be your parachute either.

People are very sensitive right now to indoor air quality issues due to the pandemic, and air purification system sales have gone through the roof. As of the time I’m writing this, the CDC is still undecided if smaller, in-home systems make much of a difference in eliminating the COVID-19 virus. They’re still unsure on a lot of things, so be careful with your verbiage as to what you promise here. It’s a smart, healthy purchase for any home, but you do not want a homeowner misled into thinking their family will be completely COVID free if they sign on the dotted line.

If you’re bold enough to promise X% off of next season’s energy bills when pushing for water heater or AC system replacements, back it up. If you promise weekend or holiday emergency calls for your service agreement customers, get there if they’re in need. Sure, there’s always an exception to every rule, and most customers will understand if you have to make an exception for them just this once… but just know this. As soon as you start bending your word, it quickly turns into breaking your word, and customers talk.

And lastly, don’t forget to ask for what you want. According to a Google poll, 70% of consumers are willing to give feedback and reviews after a service they received. The most common reason they say they don’t? “No one asked me to.” This is a huge and very common issue in many forms of marketing. You got the prospect’s attention, you related to them enough to get them to listen to what you had to say, but then you didn’t ask them to do anything with that information!

Whether it’s a, “Call now to start saving like the Johnson family,” or just a simple, “Sign up here and get more home tips delivered straight to your inbox,” if you’ve won the battle and got your prospect to engage, ask them for continued action. Trust me, they’re expecting it by this point, and remember, if you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
This is the “get to the point” part. It’s time to quit talking and make the sale, and you’ll be shocked at how often this is forgotten.

Writing clear, engaging, and effective copy is not easy. It’s technical, yet also somewhat of an artform. That’s why we’re trained experts in our field just like you’re experts in yours. If you’d like to see how professional copy and strategy can change your business, here’s what I’m asking you to do: Click here to send me an email or call me directly at (800) 489-9099 EXT: 336 so Hudson,Ink can help take your business to the next level.