Tactics for Getting Attention

Last week I outlined the marketing model that results in attracting all the clients you want and need. You move prospects from Strangers to Affiliation to Attention to Familiarity to Information to Experience to Appointment.

And I also gave you the simple tactic for moving prospects from Stranger to Affiliation by joining organizations, associations and groups. OK, that was relatively easy. The next part is trickier.

You might say that the essence of marketing is getting attention. I've discovered four main ways to get attention. What I'm talking about here is clearly communicating your marketing message, not doing some crazy PR stunt.

The four ways are by communicating the following:

1. Who your ideal clients are
2. The problem your clients face
3. The solution or outcome you offer
4. A story about the above three

Now, you might use these to get attention for your business as a whole, or for a particular service you offer. You can use your attention-getting message either verbally or through the written word. But you must get attention and generate some interest or it's hard to take the next step (Familiarity).

An Action Plan Marketing Case Study

Perhaps the best way to explain how to develop an attention-getting message is by sharing a message I've been working on for awhile. It's for the seven-session teleconference program I hold.

When I launched it, I had to come up with a name quickly as I was offering it to a large professional service firm on short notice. The name that emerged was, "The Marketing Action Plan Process," or MAPP for short. I came up with the name after the program was sold, so getting attention wasn't a big issue!

Then I promoted the same program to my subscribers and clients. And I immediately saw the weakness in this name. The name was a "process." And there is little inherent benefit in a process. It's not attention-getting as it doesn't answer the key question, "What's in it for me?"

Back to the drawing board.

The first part of this seven-step program is about getting past limiting beliefs about marketing. And in thinking about this, I realized that one of the biggest things holding people back from marketing themselves is fear (fear of rejection, doing it wrong, etc.). So the name changed to the "Fearless Marketing Program."

And that felt good for awhile until I looked at it more closely.

Someone commented that by calling it "fearless marketing," I was bringing up the idea of fear. Hmm, that's not good! And I also realized that although fear holds people back, it's not the only problem Independent Professionals have with marketing.

You see, when you're trying to get attention, it needs to be the right kind of attention. Your message, or the name of your service needs to hit on all cylinders. It needs to result in a "That's for me response!" from the majority of your target audience.

So I returned to the problem I address. For years I've used the message, "struggling to attract clients," but what's more specific than that? What is it about marketing that really bugs people?

Well, to many, marketing looks hard and takes a long time. It seems impossible to fit into a busy schedule and after all that work, it might not produce any results. People don't just struggle, they get bogged down with their marketing.

If you've used any of my products such as the InfoGuru Manual or attended a workshop or program with me, you know I break things down into doable steps that don't seem so difficult. I streamline and simplify marketing. So what's another word for that?

Fast Track!

I help people put their marketing on a fast track. You might call my overall approach "The Fast Track to More Clients." That's exactly what people get. It's benefit-oriented. It addresses the problem. It gives Independent Professionals what they want.

Does this mean I have to go back and change the whole program? Not at all. The program is great the way it is. The only thing that changes is the attention-getting message. It's now more accurate and addresses the outcome people actually want.

And now I have a whole new way to get attention for my business that goes beyond "ending the struggle to attract clients."

So, what are you saying to get attention for your business?

Is your message too focused on your process? Or is it focused on a peripheral message that's important but not central to what you actually provide to your clients?

If this is the case, you won't get the attention you desire. Time to go back to the drawing board and rework your marking message.

Next week I'll discuss the next step in the marketing process: What do you do once you've gotten someone's attention?

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The More Clients Bottom Line: There's nothing more central to marketing than your attention-getting message. Work at getting it right and your prospects will start responding in a whole different way (they'll want to know more).

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How have you changed your marketing message to attract more attention? Please share on the Blog.

http://www.actionplan.blogs.com

Comments

[Urano]

Thanks for your honesty. That show me is more important Doing, that waiting until I would have the perfect phrase or the perfect site or the perfect whatever.

[Paul Bayer]

I wanted to post and receive feedback on my audio logo. I started with, 1) "I help clients who are concerned with how they can afford a college education for their children".
Then, 2) I give parents peace of mind as to how they can afford the education they desire for their children.
and then 3) I give parents peace of mind with 2 main issues in their lives. The first is how to afford the education they desire for their children, and the second is how to achieve their own financial independence with dignity - while achieving the first issue!!

Appreciate your reactions to the above.

[Lyle Lachmuth - The Unsticking Coach]

Robert, one of the things I most appreciate about your work is the honesty you display in sharing your 'struggles' -- such as with the naming of your program.

This gives me the encouragement to try -- and recognize that I don't have to get IT perfect first time!!

Thanks, Lyle
The Unsticking Coach