Marketing Bedtime Stories: Are You Boring Your Customers?

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Ninety-five percent of your prospects don’t really understand your marketing message.

Not convinced? Let’s take a look at your last ad, press release, email newsletter or even the homepage of your website.

If we’re being honest with each other, I’d wager that more than 60% of the prime real estate is focused on you – your brand, your product or service, what you are doing and why you are doing it.  And if you’re using visuals they are probably of your products, your machinery, your location or even you.

Also, if you’re like most small business owners, the remaining 40% of your marketing communications are spent trying to cram as many words as you can into an even smaller space to let your prospects know just how much you can do.

In my experience, most of you are spending way too much time trying to impress your customers with fancy words and descriptions. And here’s the bad news – you’ve already lost them.

In fact, you put them to sleep about two minutes ago.

Marketing to Customers

Just for fun, I would like to introduce you to one of your customers… well, at least the decision making brain of one of your customers.

Meet John, your prospective customer.

The part of John’s brain that makes decisions is the same area that you and I use. This part of the brain is solely focused on survival.

1. Does John care about your brand, your products, your photo or your benefits?  No.

2. Does it care about win/win? No.

It is solely focused on itself and physical survival. This part of John’s brain is triggered within 30 seconds and is permanently tuned into the “what’s in it for me” (WIFM) radio station – constantly scanning to protect itself from pain or death.

So what does this mean for you?  To the extent you understand the pain of your customer and are here to help him solve it, he will listen to you or read what you have to say.

Now let’s look at your marketing message for a moment.  How can you use this insight for your next ad, press release, email newsletter or your website?

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— Rhondalynn

As one of Australia’s most respected authorities on personal development, peak performance and business acceleration, Rhondalynn Korolak is a celebrated author, entrepreneur, lawyer, chartered accountant, Master of NLP and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Rhondalynn is the author of On The Shoulders of Giants and Financial Foreplay. She has appeared on CNN, Bnet/CBS, Channel 7, Channel 9, Kochie’s Business Builders and 3AW, and writes for Yahoo, MYOB, Fast Thinking, Sunday Life, Dynamic Business and Australian Retailer.

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  • http://www.buttercupink.com/ Vari @ Buttercup Ink xx

    Great article! I know I am guilty of many of the pitfalls! A very refreshing new perspective! Thanks!

    Vari @ Buttercup Ink xx

    • http://twitter.com/YFSEricaNicole Erica Nicole

       Vari,

      Rhondalynn is spot on — I agree! We all have made marketing mistakes at one point or another. But these data points offer us a fresh perspective on business & help us move forward and course correct!

    • Rhondalynn

      I’m glad you enjoyed it.  Now you know what doesn’t work and what you can do to fix it quickly and easily. :)

  • http://www.lifestyleelements.com.au Abbie Allen

    Thanks Rhondalyn. Was thrilled to discover the YSF website today, and even more thrilled to see you writing here. I have recently pulled your book financial foreplay back off my bookshelf and it is even more relevant today as it was when I first bought it.

    I have had numerous people tell me I need to focus on how we solve the pain our customers have, but have been a bit hesitant as I felt it might be too confronting. However, it is clear from your article that I need to refocus. Thanks!

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