| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Have Something Good To Say
If you don't get this right, you can just forget about everything else...your advertising will fail miserably if you don't have something good to say. The great business philosopher Jim Rohn probably summed it up best in his lecture about communications. He was talking about personal communications, not about advertising, but I think the principle holds true. He says to be a master communicator, all you've got to do is follow this three-step process: First, have something good to say. Second, say it well. And third, say it often. In terms of advertising, here's what that means: Having something good to say means that you've innovated your business sufficiently so that you've got something of value to the marketplace that's worth advertising in the first place. Saying it well has to do with taking what you well and saying it in your advertising in such a way that it gets people to notice and take action. We're going to show you how to use the power of writing and articulating to get more results for the same money spent - say it well. And as for saying it often, that refers to executing your advertising and follow-up marketing in a systematic format that allows you to build brand equity and cost-effectively turn prospects into customers. So before we get into the how to say it well, let's spend just a few minutes talking about the first step to successful communication: "Have something good to say." Some people don't expect that they have to actually innovate their business to be successful. But so far, in my years of experience, it's been the best strategy that I've seen. You've probably heard the old saying that if you build a better mousetrap that the world won't necessarily beat a path to your door. That may be true; but here's a strategy that I've seen fail a thousand times: Trying to use catchy advertising, tricky words or fast-talking to try and sell the same old, boring mousetrap that everyone else is offering. I think whoever said that line about the mousetrap and the world not beating a path to your door just didn't understand the principles that govern successful marketing and advertising. See, once you have created something that people want - or as the common expression goes, sells itself - then advertising becomes infinitely easier. There's a man named Rossier Reeves who was one of the most successful advertising men in the early days of the business. I know you probably haven't heard of him, but you're probably familiar with lots of things he created, even way back in the 50s and 60s; he most famous for M&M's - "They melt in you mouth, not in your hands." Anyway, Mr. Reeves pointed this out, "Have something good to say," way back in 1965: Here's what he said about writing good advertising: "The business owner should bring the advertising writer a product or service that deserves to be on the market. It should have significant points of difference from other products. Then the idea behind the advertisement...is very, very easy to find. For example, if a manufacturer brings you car that can go 500 miles on a gallon of gas, you don't have to look very far for an idea for the ad. The idea is right in front of you. If on the other hand, you have an Edsel that's not very different from any other car, you are doomed to failure in advance. I don't believe any advertising brilliance could have saved the Edsel." In case you're not familiar, the Edsel was the greatest embarrassment to the Ford Motor Company in the 50s. They spent record amounts of money promoting it, hyped it to the ends of the earth, then nobody wanted it. Why? Because, despite what the promotion said, it was just another average, ordinary car. Here's the point: Spending money on marketing, advertising, and the greatest of copywriters of the day didn't compensate for the lack of confidence or lack of perceived value in the consumer's mind. So think about it right now. Do you have "something good to say?" Are there things that you do that make you a better value for the money than your competitors? If not, then why is it that you expect to win in business? If I trotted out the local high school varsity football team to play against the reigning Super Bowl champs, would you expect the varsity to win. Of course not. You've got to create something so unique, so good, so unparalleled that it makes your prospects say, "I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else." Rich Harshaw is the founder of the Monopolize Your Marketplace system and CEO of Y2Marketing Business Marketing Strategies
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Great Marketing Model - Utilizing the Power of OPM Staying ahead of the marketing curve seems to be a never-ending quest. Marketing doesn't have to be as complex as some people make it out to be. Promotional Products As a promotions director for a lot of super markets, one of my key responsibilities was finding promotional products for the events we make. I worked with distributors to order, design and customize these items to promote the super markets image to the general public. Go Guerrilla Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term guerrilla marketing, which I define as low-cost, creative and typically self-implemented public relations techniques.Here are a few thoughts that might spawn some ideas for your own business. The Information Publishers Secret Resource Guide To Blow Customers Away! Have you ever heard the saying, "Give and you shall receive"?Well, with information publishing, this saying is one of the most important you will ever hear. Let me explain:Whether you are providing your information product in a book, an e-book, a manual, or a video, if you want your customer to buy from you again, you must provide in your product value that he or she can directly apply to his/her life. Image is Key to Your Marketing Success In virtually any business first impressions are lasting impressions. Most people have heard this statement for years, and yet some people completely ignore the first impression they are conveying to potential customers or clients. Direct Mail Offers: Eight Steps to Making them Effective Every direct mail package you drop in the mail should contain an offer. The offer is the incentive or reward that motivates prospects to respond to your mailing, either with an order or with a request for more information. Online Mentorship Programs: Cash in on Your Expertise Whether you're a former retail store owner known for your creativity, a championship bridge player, or a psychotherapist with a long current waiting list for openings, if you possess expertise that makes colleagues and aficionados want your pearls of wisdom, you can create a new income stream with an online mentorship program.Such a program charges a fee for people to sit at your feet and learn from you. Todays Definition of Marketing. Has It Changed? With the continued proliferation of the Internet, the meaning of the word "marketing" also seems to proliferate. Cyberspace has opened up a whole arena of new marketing technologies, techniques, and twists. The Bare-Bones Basics Of Multi-Level Marketing Multi-level marketing is the biggest growth industry in the 1980's. It is the industry that has made corporate giants of Amway, Shaklee, Mary Kay and Herbalife. Don't Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket I vaguely remember a particular story from my childhood. It had something to do with transporting eggs to market. Making a Hit with Your Marketing Campaign Considered a vital link in a show's promotional plan, direct marketing is vital only if it's done right. It's certainly not as simple as typing a letter, adding an address and stamp, and popping it in the mail. Gift Cards - Is It Time to Use Them for My Business? You're probably thinking, here we go again somebody is trying to sell me something that I really don't need. I'm sure it will benefit them, but will it benefit me? Firstly let me say that my company, Solutions Ink does sell gift and loyalty cards. Connecting With Your Clients Many service professionals tell me that they are uncomfortable with the idea of marketing -- like marketing is a bad word! For some, "marketing" brings up images of telemarketers, aggressive sales people, and feelings of resentment at being invaded. But marketing is really about connecting with your customers. Postcard Marketing Done Right Say it with a post card. A well designed, colorful, high impact postcard in the mail box of your prospect is your best ticket to a new customer. Tradeshow Booth Cures - Living Color Feng Shui is the Ancient Chinese practice of configuring home or work environments to promote health, happiness, and prosperity. By utilizing elements such as light and color, Feng Shui Masters used their skill to promote the flow of "chi", or vital energy , to protect and enhance the prosperity of the Imperial Dynasties. Mortgage Originator Marketing - Differentiate or Die One of the best ways to attract more clients is to quit marketing the same way your competitors do. Because when all mortgage originator marketing is essentially the same, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish one loan officer from another. Sales and Marketing: Can One Exist Without the Other? Simply put the marketing people and the sales people depend on each other 100%. One cannot say that a marketing department is any more or less important then the guys who are closing the deals in the sales department. Develop Your Curiosity And Increase Profits If anyone was to ask me what my greatest strength was I'd say curiosity. The reason I would say that is because curious people learn a lot. Modern Marketing With Postcards Postcards may be one of the best kept secrets of modern marketing. They produce even better results now than in the past. Make More Sells With Colors How Colors Effect Our Emotions?One of the most interesting things to me is how colors effect the way we think and feel. They effect us whether we are aware of it or not.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |