OK…maybe I don’t mean the very first one, but do you remember the first important date? Hopefully, you were hyper-focused on your date, not on talking about yourself. Hopefully, you were listening intently to every word your date said when they were speaking, not trying to get your own words in, edgewise. When we’re under THAT type of scrutiny, it pays to focus on the other person.
The same rule applies for your direct marketing. Why? Because they’re scrutinizing you as someone would on a first date. Are you trustworthy? Are you a good person? Are you going to do what you say you will do? Will they be happy with you? All questions are being asked internally in both scenarios. What does this mean in marketing terms? It means your mail piece cannot be just an info dump about who you are and what you do. Here’s what prospects DON’T care about: They don’t care how many homes you’ve sold, how many roofs you’ve fixed, how many loans you’ve funded, or how many employees you have. They don’t care if you have 10 more trucks than your closest competitor. They don’t care if you’ve expanded into three more states or that you’re now a team of 15 instead of a Lone Ranger. Here’s what they DO care about: They care about getting it faster, better, and for less money. They care about the service you provide along the way. They care about making a mistake by choosing you, then getting burned. Each prospect is different, but at the root of their real concerns is a need to partner not necessarily with the best in your industry, but with the one who will deliver on their needs the best. If your marketing focuses on who you are and what you do, you risk pitching things that don’t matter to your prospects.
Focus on the right things. OK, I’m about to make a harsh statement. I'll take all the suitcases. It’s this: If you don’t know the three most common, basic needs for your market as it relates to your service, you need to go back to the research table. You should know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the three things the majority of prospects in your market need above all else as it relates to your sample product or service. These three things are what you need to promote in your marketing. This…THIS is how you win the first date.
You CAN, however, back up your laser-targeted solutions with your features. (Example: It’s not the number of trucks you have or the fact that you’re 15 instead of 1, BUT…this “feature” could relate to solving their need. If their ultimate need is accessibility to their agent, then the fact that you’re a team of 15 might mean they never have to leave a voicemail. You’ve just made the leap from feature to benefit.)
Here’s your post-blog homework. List out the three most common basic needs for the best list in your market area. Know why you’ve listed each benefit that you’ve added. Once you have this, you’re on your way. You’ve gone from the first date to picking out China! Read this article too.
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