Copyright 2014 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Yet, you should be careful about where you step.
An optimal marketing message is a matter of a marketer putting his/her best foot forward. Why should you - in effect - put your best foot forward? OK, grammatically & logically it should be put your better foot forward. But the common expression around where I live is "Put Your Best Foot Forward".
Maybe your best foot received a pedicure or is in a well-polished, high-style shoe or boot (this concept might work for some marketers). Most likely, your best foot is your stronger/strongest, more/most steady foot.
When you determine what your "best foot" is, you should stand on it.
Sometimes, "stand on it" means the same as put the pedal to the metal. It means press the accelerator as far as it will go to gain & maintain maximum speed.
Find your best foot & run with it. As long as it works for you, keep using it.
Not So Fast - Yet
We need to balance between jumping into a subject & preparing an audience with a bit of prefacing.
If I'd start this post with, "Threats tend to get more attention & interest than benefits." Somebody may read more of my content but yet interpret it from the wrong perspective. I don't advise threatening consumers i.e. using intimidation or inciting terror.
I'm differentiating between threats & warnings. Examples: Threat - 'Dangerous wind chills are expected tomorrow.' Warning - 'You'll need your best, warmest winter clothing for tomorrow morning.'
Based on your knowledge of your market niche, you should determine which of these would work best.
Yeah, Yeah I Know, I'm Not A Child, I'm Already 13 Years Old
A stereotypical teenager may pay more conscious attention to that wind chill threat. But that winter clothing warning may be rejected by a teenage subconscious because it seems like a mother telling a child to wear a coat, cap & gloves.
No matter how wise their mothers are, most teenagers think they're smarter than all mothers & fathers combined.
If members of your niche still have the mentality of teenagers, your warnings might not even enter their conscious realms.
If you check the basics of human physical reflexes, you'll notice this - When a hand feels extreme heat, that hand is pulled back before the hand's owner is consciously aware of the problem.
People are somewhat like that psychologically, too. Besides reacting to danger, people subconsciously react to what they think they've heard already. That kind of reaction doesn't reach their conscious minds. In effect, some things seem so unimportant & redundant; they just bounce off of subconscious minds.
What Have You Got To Worry About?
Threats don't have to be dangers. Possible discomfort is also a threat. The degree of a threat may be determined according the likelihood &/or degree of anticipated discomfort or pain. Anticipation & worrying can be more distressing than (potential) reality.
Use your best foot to help consumers stomp out threats & step away from their perceptions of what seems threatening. Help consumers put their best feet forward so they can avoid hardships plus obtain & maintain benefits.
You shouldn't assume consumers know or remember what may threaten them at any particular time. Also don't assume they know or remember how to solve problems & what to do to avoid or mitigate threats.
You should explain consequences of delaying purchasing actions & ignoring warnings. Potential problems may become real problems when people neglect prevention & solutions. Show how benefits are probable (or at least possible) as results of product use or a service result.
Do your best to guide people to solve problems, not just deal with symptoms. Easing symptoms may lead to temporary comfort, but until the problem is solved their trouble won't be over. If you only help them ease symptoms, they may distrust you when they realize they still have a problem.
Advertisers should know which facts people in a market niche want & what niche members (will) believe. Though people need certain facts, they may ignore that need especially when those facts are "boring" or unpleasant.
Too often, people believe some facts don't apply to them. People, who are addicted to something, are apt to deny the addiction &/or the harm of indulging/appeasing their addictions. Somebody, who feels healthy, may think they don't & won't have any health problems.
You won't persuade everybody, yet your realistic marketing messages may catch somebody's subconscious attention & interest. That could start the mental processes that'll lead to desire & purchasing action.
Be sure your messages deal with the main objections. Whether the standard objections are spoken or just thoughts, be prepared for these - So what?! Who cares?! No way, not me! Why are you bothering me about this? I'm still alive. I'm OK. I don't need it.
It's important to remember even if objections aren't stated as questions; people tend to raise objections to request information. This applies during conversations & advertising.
If you're a teenager, I apologize for trying to teach you what you already knew.
For the rest of you, I hope you appreciate what I've written.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2014 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: Don't Bury Your Lead
A guy was away from his home during a business trip. He used his cellular phone to call his family. His son answered the call.
The guy said, "They overbooked the flight, so I had to wait until today to get here. Now I wish I would've driven my car."
His son said, "You should've taken your car because somebody just stole it."
The guy complained, "Son, you shouldn't be so harsh with bad news. You should lead up to bad news gently. You should've started by saying, "Dad, there's something you should know. After that, you could mention the crime. Now please, let me talk to your mother."
His son said, "Well Dad, there's something you should know."
Journalists are taught to not bury their leads. Yet, they should be sensitive to people's feelings.
In news broadcasts & publications, it's common to start with a lead story. That's the subject editors & producers think will be of most interest to most audience members.
Each news report has a factor that seems most important & is apt to draw people's attention & arouse their interest. Each story/article has (should have) a lead which is apt to be the main fact.
In marketing though, you should test different messages to determine the best way to convey bad news. People may be confused &/or shocked if you introduce your lead story or idea too soon. It could feel like you're trying to close the sale without adequately presenting your product.
Example - 'This paint will last forever, but this offer will be over on March 1. You'd better buy it now to preserve your house now.'
Does this "lead" idea have anything compelling in it? There isn't much consumer-oriented information in that example; it seems like just another sales attempt.
Prospects may think, "Houses don't last forever, so why would it be important for paint to last 'forever'? I have other things to buy now, why should I prioritize this paint?"
I'd suggest starting with a statement about an impending threat or a warning about something that's already happening & is relevant to what you offer. That can be followed with the probable result. That probable result is a problem that'll probably be worse for consumers who don't use what you offer.
An example of an applicable threat could be a forecast of unstable, turbulent weather because wind & hail - especially combined - can ruin paint. Ruined paint can't protect whatever the surface is beneath it.
Messages like that could be relevant if aired after a violent weather warning or printed on the same newspaper page as an article about bad weather. Some businesses arrange to have their weather related advertising run when it's most relevant.
Note: As inane as my situation report is below, I wrote it to emphasize the kind of details that are relevant to consumers like me & some local stores.
When you track what happens, you can be prepared to help consumers prepare. Track a cause & its effects. Determine which of those effects will become causes of other effects. You should figure which products will be more in demand.
Example - Ice melting chemicals are less effective or have no effect at zero degrees Fahrenheit/-17.8 Celsius, so there's less demand, especially when that cold weather lasts for a few days. Retailers may want to display products that help people be warm.
Our Lead Story Tonight Is ...
Detailing the factors contributing to & resulting from weather patterns is a meteorologist's job during weather reports & forecasts.
Reporters report how weather & other things affect people. It's important for each person to focus on his/her function.
It's what advertisers should focus on also. Each part of a marketing process has a distinct purpose. A headline/opening statement should draw attention to the rest of the message & promise a benefit for reading, watching &/or listening.
Things you should consider:
Who has enough credibility to effectively announce things that will affect your market niche?
How can niche members identify symptoms, signs & clues of a problem?
How can consumers avoid or mitigate the effects?
If a problem happens, how can consumers solve it?
Promoting products/services is a matter of problems & solutions.
A lot of attention in the USA lately is on cold, hazardous weather. Though journalists report facts like how many inches of snow have fallen or are expected & the wind chill effects, the main focus is still on how weather affects or will affect people.
Weather reports & forecasts feature facts & predictions. Compelling news stories report effects of factual things.
Wind speed & air temperature are facts/factors which cause effects. Wind chill effect is a result.
In winter, wind chill is an impersonal threat because it can injure & kill without regard for identity. There's no immunity, just ability to avoid it.
Since it can happen to many people, there's a lot of interest in cold weather so it gets a lot of attention. In this case, many people desire to avoid cold weather. Their actions will be focused on preventing problems.
When Will It Ever End?
We've been concerned about getting too much snow. Now we have too much but what can we do about it? We're running out of places to put more snow. Some snow has been melting.
Temperatures are starting intermittently to get up to a comfortable level. Now we're uncomfortable (feel a low level of threat) because snow & ice might melt too quickly, too soon. Soil is frozen & won't absorb water.
Retailers do what they can by offering shovels, ice choppers & ice melting chemicals, so we buy those to mitigate some problems.
Even after we remove snow from sidewalks & pile it up, it eventually melts & flows onto our sidewalks. Since the water rinses away our ice melting chemicals, the water freezes again.
Since home owners are responsible for removing snow & ice from sidewalks, slippery sidewalks are a liability problem.
OK, I admit it's a weak segue to the next subject. So sue m... Please, forgive me.
A Good Reputation Can't Be Bought
It also means a reputation can't be sold, yet some people seemingly try to sell theirs anyway.
I've often heard a law firm's commercial & the radio station news director mentioning the firm. At the end of news reports, announcers mention the sponsors & their tag lines.
The commercial has a somewhat empathic tone for those who need legal help for personal injury cases or just the ordinary affairs of people's lives.
The firm cites one criterion for choosing a lawyer - Reputation. Since that's what is allegedly the most important (or only?) criterion, the attorneys say on that they'll rest their case (like the closing argument/summation in a trial).
That commercial has been used for more than a year. That seems to indicate it's working.
It may be a message some people need to hear/read when they have legal problems. The last line in the commercial is the firm's tag line. It's supposed to reassure people, I guess. According to tag line, the firm is "just a phone call away".
That commercial ends with that slogan, instead of 'reputation' being the final word.
Reputations can be fleeting. Reputations don't directly affect the quality of results. Reputations may help people feel at ease, but there's nothing to buy.
A reputation can't be bought, though a reputation can be used as influence. The results of influence can be used to produce some value.
Strong reputations can be established over time, yet reputations can be tarnished or shattered quickly.
During a trial, would a lawyer's solid reputation persuade a judge &/or jury to find an indicted client to be not guilty? Attorneys better not try to rest their cases on their reputations during trials.
I advise people to avoid basing their marketing on reputation. If reputation is the only thing a business can offer, then what's the benefit for consumers?
So, What's Your Point?
At the end of the news casts the announcers list the sponsors. "The news was brought to you by XYZ law firm, just a phone call away."
How many lawyers are "just a phone call away"? All lawyers in the USA are probably just a phone call away. There's nothing compelling or unique in that statement.
Marketing messages should NOT be fill-in-the-blank statements. Any lawyer or law firm's name could be coupled with "just a phone call away". But how many have had a favorable reputation for many decades?
So, these lawyers are just a phone call away. It may mean they have somebody on duty to take calls even when their office is closed. But how often does somebody urgently need a lawyer after 5:00 PM or before 8:00 AM.
Could a lawyer file anything when court houses are closed? Files can be prepared before a court house opens, but many times lawyers end up waiting for judges, magistrates &/or court commissioners to sign court orders.
Based on their message, "just a phone call away" shouldn't be their "lead" or main statement. If reputation really is the only qualification, then "just a phone call away" is NOT a valid criterion! Their claim about reputation should be the first & last point.
The firm could still use that basic theme, but do more good with it.
Al Ries & Jack Trout have been urging marketers to own a word (concept or statement) in consumers' minds. The lawyers' statement about resting their case on their reputation could be built further.
Were their clients so distressed that they had restless nights until they turned their issues over to these lawyers? Do their clients rest assured because these lawyers are handling the legal details?
Distress can ruin a person's health! Reducing or eliminating a client's distress is a big benefit. That benefit may be what's 'just a phone call away'.
Note: I'm disguising the firm's identities to avoid helping or hurting them. I'm not trying to advertise for anybody, I'm just giving advice.
What Do You Mean By That?
Marketers shouldn't let consumers decide what a marketing message means. Consumers have too many other things to think about.
I've never heard those lawyers state what their reputation is. Nor have I heard about their reputation from others.
Reputation may be important as one criterion among other criteria, but just what does reputation mean in their case?
Here are some words that could apply to an attorney's reputation: Effectiveness, efficiency, empathy, compassion, understanding, fairness, reliability, aggressiveness, wisdom, expertise.
Some of these words/factors overlap; yet how meaningful are they for somebody who wants to sue another person?
How meaningful are those factors to somebody who is being sued another person?
Another law firm in my area focuses on fairness of legal fees. Could that apply to other firms? Yes, it could. Yet, how many people believe lawyers charge too much for too little service?
How many people avoid trying to solve legal issues because lawyers seem to be money hungry? What is a fair fee for a legal service? This firm uses the example of a will for $XX.
Since a specific amount of money is familiar to people, that specific fee is almost tangible compared to a reputation. People can't feel a fee, but they can physically feel & see money.
People know how they feel when they don't have enough money & they may feel better if they can afford to pay that fee & get a service they need.
Another law firm focuses on representing injured people. These personal injury specialists will assess a situation to determine if a potential client has a case (meaning a probability of getting monetary settlement).
If somebody has been injured because of somebody else's negligence or intentional actions, these lawyers promise to get what the victim deserves. They contend too many insurance firms delay settlements. That kind of delay makes situations even harder for victims who are already suffering.
These lawyers want to work for clients by working with insurance firms & at fault parties to quickly finalize cases.
Some lawyers want to settle cases too quickly so they get money with little effort. Others turn away people who want to settle cases instead of litigating in trials.
Some juries & judges award victims very generously, so some lawyers will push for trials, which also means they do more work & can get paid more. They can get bigger contingency fees if they win a trial or at least use a possible trial to get a company to pay more.
Waiting for a judgment via a trial delays the issue & can be far more stressful for clients.
Some people & businesses prefer to settle without a trial because trials are expensive. The chances of losing a case are high. They also want to avoid negative publicity.
The law firm doesn't explain these factors in their advertising. These explanations would be handled in person.
Even if people don't know these tidbits about litigation, they still know about physical suffering & financial hardship. So, facts about prolonged, unnecessary suffering & mounting frustration are things people understand.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2014 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
No comments:
Post a Comment