Who knew that the writing techniques for character development could be used in developing a successful marketing strategy? During a recent Social Buzz U webinar, Lana McAra explained how to get clear on what your clients want and integrate that information into your online and offline marketing strategies.
If you want to make more money AVOID these three things
- Hem and haw when people ask what you do. Don’t go on and on. The more you talk the worse it gets.
- Hoping you’ll win the lottery by not honing in on a hungry target market. Instead, do your research. Pick your market based upon who is ready and willing to buy. Go to your clientele, learn what they want and who are most responsive
- Scattergun approach. Everyone needs what I do. This approach is not noble. It’s actually a cop out. When your message is so broad, plain vanilla, people don’t get it. Actually, wind up denying the right people from getting it. Instead focus in a specific thing people will respond to. Your prospects are attracted to your unique approach and the problems you solve.
Clarity is Cash
If you haven’t read, E Myth Revisited by Mark Gerber it’s a classic entrepreneurs must read. The take away is that you must have clarity about your customers, what they want, and when they will buy. Everything starts with the customer.
Everything should be as simple as possible but no simpler. ~ Albert Einstein
3 Stages to Getting Clear on Your Customers
- Identify your ideal client
- Systematize to attract clients
- Sell and make a profit
Knowing vs. Understanding Your Customer
There is a difference between knowing who your customers are and understanding them. You need to do both. Most spend time knowing their customer instead of understanding them. However, if you don’t understand your customer, then you won’t have full clarity on your value proposition. You must understand why they care. This will allow you to show them the value in a way that they care about
When you understand your customer your business can deliver a product with a meaningful value proposition to the customer. Plus you’ll be able to anticipate your customer’s evolving and future needs. When you can predict what they need next, you’ll know exactly the shifts to make in the course of your business.
Do you know what the real value your customer perceives? Here’s an example of a marketing message that gets to the heart of the emotional value customers are seeking.
“Are you embarrassed by crooked teeth?” Gets right to the emotion that customers have that they want resolved.
Marketing Research Exercise
1. List Your Favorite clients (past and/or present)
Who are the clients that are getting great results because they are action takers. Work with people you resonate with. Cross of people with blocks to success (don’t follow through), money issues. Motivated and will find the money and realize the value and don’t try to make a deal with you.
Notice they talk about before they are in process with you or not working. What other concerns do they have? Where are they in their financial situation? The more you know about them the more you can focus your marketing. Where are they having their breakthroughs. What kinds of questions are they asking. The more you know about them the more powerful your marketing message will be.
2. ASK your favorite clients these questions.
1. How did you find me? You’ll discover what’s working. Put more energy behind that.
2. Why did you say yes to working with me? Pinpoints their motivation. Be sure to ask follow up questions. How is that affecting you? What is that doing to you personally? Get to the core issue. Translate that into the core message to get to their emotional buying decision.
Example: If wife expresses that her husband is frustrated with my credit card spending, with enough probing you’ll find out that ultimately she doesn’t feel like she’s a good partner. Thus, your marketing message could include information on how customers become a better partner in their marriages.
3. What do you expect to happen after working with me? You never want to be caught off guard. You want to deliver your client’s expected outcomes and use that in your marketing. Then you can market their dream to them.
4. Who else do you work with or buy from? Find out who do they hire – gardner, personal trainer, sitter, personal shopper, VA’s, alternative health practitioners, etc. The answers give you insights to potential joint venture partners and strategic partners. You could go to them and ask them “How about I put an ad in your newsletter in exchange for an ad in mine?” JV partnerships are a great way to grow business in a short period of time.
After getting the results you can analyze the results, create your marketing plan and grow your business faster with this client-centered strategy.
Lana’s Instant Client Generator will do the leg work and marketing analysis for you.
She has offered readers a Free Trial. Simply email me and let me know you want the Instant Client Generator trial and I’ll have Lana send you the details.
Lana’s Instant Client Generator is a powerful tool that will ask the questions in 7 minutes, analyze the results and give you the following in a user friendly report:
- Identify your clients 16 emotional triggers
- Recommend Hot words for copywriting for your target market
- Give you a template for your Unique Selling Proposition
- Reveal the colors that will trigger your customers to buy
- Lay out the food profile of your clientele so you can spot perfect prospects by what they are drinking
- List of who else they hire so you can find joint venture partners and strategic alliances.
To test drive this system for FREE, contact me today and I will make sure Lana takes care of getting you the marketing insider information about your target market.
To watch the entire training video, get it at Social Buzz U instantly or join Social Buzz Club (Basic or Premium level) and get the entire archive of all our business development and marketing training programs from leading experts.
Related Blog: Hypnotherapy Helps Me Be A Better Business Consultant
Think like your clients. Think like your clients. Think like your clients.
It’s my mantra, my motto. Amazes me how often we flip back into “me” thinking. For two decades, I’ve based my marketing philosophy on this concept. Get your client’s neurons firing. Rewire those dendrites growing. Make memories, relationships … customer loyalty. Watch your intellectual property and balance sheet goodwill soar.
As you can tell I love this post. I should start a Pinterest or Stack dedicated to this subject.