I’ve been very lucky lately to be invited to speak at a number of networking events. I’ve spoken about marketing, blogging and copywriting. I’ve had lots of people come up to me afterwards and ask me questions about their particular business and the issues that they have.
We discuss lots of issues pertinent to their particular business, like targeting a particular sector and how they should promote their business.
And there’s one thing that goes through my mind again and again when I talk with business owners..and it’s this:
People do business with people.
This is a simple truth. People do business with people. They don’t do business with brochures and websites. They do business with the people behind the websites, the social media and the brochures.
Lets think about it:
- We buy from people
- We buy from people we like
- We get better results when we work with people we like & who like us back
I typically ask business owners when I mentor them about their sales conversion rate when they meet a potential client, either face to face or over the telephone. 9 times out of 10, I hear the same answer and it is upward on 75%. Typically that means 3 out of 4 times, all things being equal, you, as a business owner convert a sale.
In every industry, there exists a plethora of suppliers. There also exists a customer with a need that requires solving. Whatever your business, ask yourself why do your customers pick you? With every other factor being equal, it’s because of you or your team.
Yet I edit so much promotional material that is written in such a way that it is a hundred miles away from the business owner or the team. It doesn’t represent a consistent approach from the person or team.
Many business owners believe that they have to write their promotional material in a certain way. They compare their documents to their competitors. They look around to see how others are writing. While this is good for influence and ideas, every business owner must write to their potential customer. At the end of the day, that really is the most important person(s). You’re not talking to your competitors or your colleagues, you’re talking to your customer.
In today’s crowded marketplace, you have to make sure you and your business stand out.
Here are three things to do just that in your marketing materials:
- Show your personality
- Use your voice
- Be yourself
While you can only be one place at a time, your promotional material or copy can be read at any time. Make sure it counts.
