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What My Teenagers Taught Me About Marketing "Stuff"

by Charlie Cook
Copyright 2005©. All rights reserved.

My kids taught me a lot about marketing communication when they were teenagers. My son had me playing 20 questions. When I asked what he’d done at school or out with his friends the night before, I'd get one of two classic teenage responses; "Stuff" or "Nothing". I'd have to pepper him with questions to learn any more.

With my daughter, I could hardly get a word in edgewise. She's a great storyteller, but she wanted to tell me everything about everyone. Neither of them were really giving me what I wanted.

If these had been sales calls and I'd been a business prospect instead of a devoted parent, I'd have ended the conversation or walked away. I'd have thought, "Great people, but they don’t understand my point of view or my problems."

Does your small business marketing turn prospects off with too little or too much information?

Do you approach your marketing from your customers' point of view?

Is your small business marketing generating the leads you need to grow your business?

If a prospect asked you what you do, you'd never respond by just saying "Stuff".

But what do you say? Do you tell them that you're in advertising, or that you are a lawyer, accountant, designer, entrepreneur, franchise consultant, realtor, trainer, or software developer?

Statements like this don't start a conversation fully explain what you do or how a prospect could benefit from your products or services. These one or two word answers are the equivalent of your teenager telling you they've been doing "Stuff".

Don't make your prospects play "20 Questions" with you to understand your business. Give them a clear, succinct marketing message that describes how you can help them and why they need you.

Once you've got their attention with your marketing message, follow it up with the information they need, a clarification of the problems you solve, the solutions you provide and a reason to contact you. Make it easy for your prospects to get what they want from your marketing materials, whether you use ads, brochures, a web site or other media.

• Define your prospects' most common concerns and the problems they want resolved.

• Present the solutions your provide in the context of these problems.

• Explain why they need you, from their point of view.

• Anticipate and answer their questions

I was on the phone with Marilyn, who wanted to know what her firm could do to spread the word and get more clients. Last year they made over a million dollars, but so far this year they haven't gotten the number of inquires they need to continue to grow the company. What’s getting in the way?

While I was talking with Marilyn, I typed her firm's URL into my web browser to take a look at the way they are promoting themselves. I had two reactions when her site came up in my browser. One, it was very attractive and professionally done. Two, after looking at it for a few
minutes, I had no idea what the business actually did, who they helped or how.

There was a lot of information on the site, but it wasn't telling me what I needed to know. It took me another ten minutes and a number of questions to find out what her small business software development and computer-networking firm did.

Your prospects don't have the motivation of a parent talking to a teenager. If its hard for your prospects to figure out whether or not you can help them from your small business marketing materials, they're gone. Don't expect them to decipher unclear copy or hunt through your web site to find the information they need.

Generate more leads and sales by using a marketing message, supporting marketing copy and a coordinated marketing system that helps your prospects understand why they need you and how you can solve their problems.

Want more leads, more prospect relationships and more sales? If you want different results you'll need to do something different with your marketing. Get the marketing tools and expertise you need to make a change and to grow your business faster.

Marketing Messages - 15 Second Marketing Manual
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Small Business Marketing - The Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Principles: Use this marketing system to generate a steady stream of clients. Get your copy with this link.

Web: Marketing Manual - Creating Web Sites that Sell
Learn how to use your site to get people to contact you and buy from you. Get your copy with this link.

Stop struggling to get people to contact you and buy from you
Get expert marketing help with your marketing strategy and your marketing copy. Just call me at 1-800-795-1858 or click on this link to get answers.

"Charlie helped us see the forest for the trees, reminding us that we are solution providers. With his help we've increased web traffic, doubled lead flow and seen our sales increase by hundreds of thousands of dollars already. I'll be recommending Charlie to all our other business units."
Mike Trowbridge, VP Marketing, Fairfield Resorts

Charlie Cook helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients, reduce costs, make more mo.ney and be more successful. Learn how to Get Attention, Position your business and Sell more products and services.Call 1-800-795-1858 for more information. Or visit
http://www.marketingforsuccess.com/marketing-coaching.html

"I love your small business marketing books so much that I've bought three of these marketing tools, my favorite being 'Creating Web Sites that Sell'. I used to see marketing as a puzzle; now all the pieces are falling into place.

Your marketing manuals contain a wealth of information that simplifies what I do. They ! have helped me be more productive and get many more clients. Highly recommended."
Susan Robichaud, Visual Communications Inc.