WHAT’S THEIR PROBLEM? How do you begin a dialogue with a
prospect, be it in person, on your website or in print?
You talk about your client’s business problem.
What IS your client’s business problem?
Answering this question is the hardest part of marketing. What
we all do instead, is focus on our solution, i.e. “what we do.”
“We sell network management software.” “We are a
business-oriented law firm.” “We trade commodities.”
Worse still, we continue talking about ourselves: how many
employees we have, how many years we have been in business,
where our head office is.
Let’s think again. Are you worried about the vulnerability of
your IT systems today? Do you dread losing your information
assets? Aha, our network management software has worked wonders
for clients just like you.
Are you thinking of expanding your business? Do you know how to
find an experienced team that knows your industry backwards and
can deliver. Are you looking for a team that has done this kind
of transaction for many years. A team with the best experience
and knowledge of your industry in the country? We don’t just
deliver wordy legal contracts, we deliver cost-effective
business solutions.
Do your clients want specialty products delivered in exactly the
way your clients want to receive them, sometimes in custom
format? We don’t just trade commodities, we deliver service and
quality every time, in just the way you want it.
Every good piece of marketing collateral starts by setting out
the business problem. Because reading this, your client will
say, “finally, someone who understands what I am struggling
with.” This is your “hook.” The hook requires empathy. Later you
will apply logic. i.e. why your service is the ideal fit for his
problem.
How often do you put yourself in your clients’ shoes and wonder
what she struggles with? I’ve seen how hard this is with every
client I have ever worked with (save one, he just needed a
writer to set out his thoughts on paper.)
I have also seen how transformative it is to do this exercise.
When you really understand what your clients’ problem is, you
also understand the nuances of your solution. Doing this work
becomes an exercise in strategy. It helps you answer what you
are about in the marketplace.
It positions you. “Positioning,” means defining exactly who your
ideal client is, what they really want and what you are really
really good at. Position yourself correctly and you knock your
competitors out of the game.
How important is it to begin your dialogue with your client’s
business problem. It is crucial. Good writing (and good talking)
is good thinking.
Do you have a robust marketing plan to execute against? How
clear and persuasive is your website, brochure copy or direct
mail? Call Neroli Lacey NOW to win more business TODAY.
CALL ++ 612. 215. 3826 NOW or email:
neroli@beyondcommunications.com
