| |
| |
|
Marketing Resource Center |
|
|
|
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
Build a Dynamic Business - 10 Steps to Start You Off It's where your employees are in a 'special place' when they work together. And to get there, they have to be in a culture that is very special - and you can create it in your business too!Here are ten key points that will make a big, big difference:-Build Great RelationshipsTake the time to engage with your people. Marketing Flat? Is It Your Plan or Your Vision? 60+ hour workweeks, cash flows that constantly keep you up at night, stress and more stress again. Payroll due in two days (where the heck is that going to come from?) Does this sound like your business? Is your business a job with the most fickle, disloyal boss of all. Marking Your Territory We all know the familiar adage "if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.. Marketing Success Defined How do you personally define success? High income? Substantial net worth? A fine home? Peer recognition?On a personal basis, there are likely almost as many definitions of success as there are people in the world.In marketing, though, there are just four measurable elements of success:Profitability, Market Share, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Retention. Freebie Seekers? Turn Them Into Clients and Referrers - or Turn them Far, Far Away Many service business owners these days are"giving away" their business services - and thenwonder why people aren't hiring them in droves. Inthe name of "marketing," business owners areproviding way too much information for free. Case Study: How to Get a Big Boost in Response by Taking Your Marketing to the Extreme Want a big boost in response and quick sales from your next direct marketing effort? Then take your marketing to the extreme. What do I mean by extreme? I mean unconventional, break the mold, out-of-the-box, reaches-out-and-grabs-people-by-the-lapel marketing. 30-Minute Marketing Marketing your small business takes tons of time, years of experience, and lots of money, right? WRONG! Anyone can learn effective marketing techniques that are simple, inexpensive, and best of all, quick! This summer, get in the habit of regularly marketing your biz! The following are some marketing techniques that you can accomplish in 30 minutes or less. Pick a few that appeal to your style. Marketing To Women Recent studies concerning the "new world of women" have been released. Some of the major findings may be surprising to you (less so if you are a woman). Where Are Your Leads Coming From? Most B2B marketers spend a great deal of time analyzing the performance of their programs and initiatives. The reason is obvious: With the growing pressure on marketing to produce measurable results, it's critical that every marketing dollar is invested wisely. 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Existing Marketing Materials for Practically Nothing! In addition to direct marketing strategies you want to besure your existing passive, or indirect, marketing activitiesare as effective as possible. When is the last time you tooka good look at your existing marketing activities?Here are some fast, easy (and free to inexpensive) ways toupdate and upgrade your existing marketing activities. How to Run a Successful News Release Program Marketing public relations gives you cost effective ways to reach your audience. The trade-off, however, is time. Why Pay for Online Press Release Distribution? We've all heard that "free advice is worth what you pay forit.. Marketing Strategy - Whats Your System? Where Do Most of Your Clients Come From?Is it from your marketing and sales system?When I meet people for the first time and they understand that I'm a marketing consultant, I'm frequently asked, "Where do most of your clients come from?" Many times I believe the question is asked innocently enough. But, quite often I feel like the person asking wants to know if I have a magic answer that might work for them. Getting Into Marketing Momentum ... The Accelerated Way GETTING INTO MARKETING MOMENTUM: The 5 Power Principles for Getting Your Business into High GearDo you know the #1 reason why most businesses fail and why you could become a fatal statistic as well?The answer is .. How to Turn Your Promotional Products Expense Into a Profit Center If you use promotional products you probably already know the power of giving away freebies. You may use them to thank current customers, or to give incentives to potential customers. How To Sell To Howard Stern... Oprah Winfrey... And Paul McCartney! Do you know what Howard Stern.. Set Your Business Apart With A Unique Selling Proposition Unless your company has absolutely no competition now or in the forseeable future, you're well advised to find and develop a unique selling proposition (USP) that differentiates your business from all of your competitors.For you to succeed, you have to identify and understand what you or your business does or can start doing for your prospects and customers that provides them with a result that is superior to the competition's. Break Even On Your Next Direct Mail Campaign...And Still Generate Huge Profits With direct mail, you can break even and still claim success. The reason for this can be understood only when determining the lifetime value of each customer brought in and the likelihood of those customers responding to subsequent offers. How To Turn $100,000 Into $1,191,817 In Just One Year Part II Turning a modest $100,000 annual turnover into $1,191,817 may sound outrageous but if you really understand the fundamentals of marketing this becomes quite achievable.Once you realise that just improving every area of your marketing can create a multiplying effect on your turnover it's time to look in more detail at exactly which areas you should target. Writing Marketing Copy That Sells When your prospects see your marketing materials, your brochure, your web site or your ads you want them to read them. You want prospects to read not just the first sentence but the majority of your copy.
|
| home | site map | Advertising Articles |
| © 2006 |
