Marketing Messages That Work

In my current Fast Track to More Clients Program, this week's assignment was to create an effective marketing message based on the following four steps:

1. Your target market or ideal client.
You need to identify who you work with so that your prospect will know immediately if your message is for them or not.

2. The problem this client is dealing with.
This gets the prospect's attention by hitting a nerve and letting them know you understand their situation.

3. The outcome that resolves this problem.
Declaring the kind of outcome they can expect makes them want to know more about your services.

4. Story or example that proves you can do it.
Telling a story makes your services real to the prospect. If you helped someone else, you can help them as well.

I'd like to share some of the better messages with you. Use them as a template to help you create your own messages. Stick to the four steps and you'll have a much more powerful and attention-getting message.

Example #1 - Healthcare Consultant

We work with healthcare organizations, who struggle with hiring and keeping really good people.

We help them reduce turnover by up to 70% and hire employees that are more productive.

A good example is one client that was really disappointed by the work ethic of new employees and struggled with 65% turnover. We were able to significantly raise the bar on employee work ethic and reduce turnover by 70%.

Example #2 - Financial Planner

I help people with a six figure incomes who are getting clobbered by taxes, staring at college and retirement and wondering how in the world they’re going to pay for it all.

I show them how to send their kids to private college for about the same cost as public colleges, maintain their lifestyles at the same time and fund retirement.

A typical example is a couple that came to me who have two children that will attend college. They didn’t know how much college would cost, how much they should save and how much they were going to need to retire. I showed them how to save over $18,000 in taxes oriented around college funding by finding new ways to save on income taxes. I call these savings a "Tax Scholarship." That might mean an additional $200,000 for retirement or a more expensive college for their kids.

Example #3 - Management Consultant

I work with CEOS of small to medium sized businesses who are experiencing a steady decline in productivity with their management teams and employees and are finding training programs ineffective. Lack of personal accountability and self-management skills has led to something that looks like procrastination and productivity loss.

We increase self-management and personal accountability through practical, easy-to-administer tools that develop leadership growth not only in a local setting, but with remote team members.

One of my clients was a commercial construction firm that had tried several times (and several years) to implement a strategic planning process. However, the CEO had difficulty following up with the many goals that were set and holding the executive team accountable for all the steps and due dates. We implemented an online solution that gave the CEO a bigger picture of what was happening with the strategic plan and gave him the means to follow up quickly with team players that were falling behind. I advised him to move more into a coaching role with the team through this process. It resulted in the company implementing for the first time in 10 years all the goals they had set in their strategic plan. This had a very important impact on the bottom line in a depressed commercial construction market. While their competitors were struggling, they were doing well and did not have to lay off any employees.

Example #4 - Life and Relationship Coach

I work with individuals who have been unsuccessful in finding their ideal partner and with couples who struggle to keep their marriage intact.

I help them to understand themselves more fully as individuals and I introduce them to concepts, exercises and skills that will increase their chances for a meaningful and lasting partnership.

I worked with a couple who was planning to get married but they argued incessantly. One of the partners had serious doubts about moving forward. I helped them identify the real underlying problems and taught them to see “the relationship” as a priority. They learned many things such as how to create a mutually satisfying partnership through respect, responsibility, and good communication. Their fighting stopped and they were able to resolve their stuck areas. They ended up getting married and three years later they are happy and expecting their first child.

Example #5 - Retail Consultant

I work with independent retailers who are frustrated with trying to get shoppers to buy.

I help them create the kind of shopping experience that gets people to come inside AND buy.

A used music store that I worked with that was struggling to get people to stop and come in the store instead of just walking by. I helped them transform their dark, unappealing window, into a dynamic storefront that would get their customers’ attention.

Example #6 - Management Consultant

We work with busy entrepreneurs and business owners of successful small and medium companies who are frustrated because they are leaving money on the table because they are not getting important back-burner projects completed.

We help them get a laser beam focus on what will move their business off the plateau and get those key projects completed and producing results for them, not gathering dust on the shelf.

We recently worked with a 150 year old manufacturing company. In order to bid bigger projects, they needed a higher level of certification in their industry. They had a history of knowing what they needed to do but failing to execute it because they were so busy manufacturing their product. We helped them develop an easy, step-by-step plan so they could see how it was possible. Now they are certified and able to track their inventory, bid more profitable projects and keep their customers happy. Just as important for them was the pride and accomplishment of working together as a team as achieving the goal.

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You'll note that all of these marketing messages have adhered to the four steps. It's clear who the service is for, why the service is needed in the first place, what the service actually delivers and proof that they have achieved tangible results with clients.

It doesn't get much more complicated than that. If your marketing message is not getting results for you, use this formula to increase its impact.

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The More Clients Bottom Line: Your marketing message is the foundation of your business. Create a good one and reap the rewards for years to come!

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Want to share your marketing message? Feel free to post it on the Blog! Make sure you follow the four steps.

Comments

[Crystal]

I work with entrepreneurs who are struggling with the growth of their business. They know there just isn’t enough time for one person to do all the things necessary to run a growing business so they leave tasks undone and their business stagnates.

I help them state their goals and focus on their desired outcomes. Then, by doing the tasks for them that do not directly bringing in money, they can focus on the money making tasks of their businesses.

Most recently I worked with a woman that is an author and real estate coach. She wanted to make her living by writing. Because she was too shy to promote herself, I made calls to publications that would be interested in her articles. She now has a monthly column in a local real estate publication. I also convinced her to do a teleseminar that resulted in her coaching/mentoring portion of her business filling up so she is able to afford to continue to write.

[Kim]

Thanks for inspiring me to create my marketing message! Here's what I came up with:

I work with Adults who are struggling with AD/HD in their personal and professional lives.

I help them work with their own unique strengths to develop time management and organizing strategies that will make them more productive and successful.

I helped a young woman who had lost her job and her confidence, focus on her abilities rather than her dis-abilities to find a job. Once we focused on her strengths, the kind of career she wanted and the best work environment for her needs, she found a job that she was much better suited for. She has been happily employed for 3 years now and has increased her workplace productivity due to our work together.

[Jesse]

It reminds me of the famous elevator speech and should not be confused with an all encompassing marketing program. What I found interesting is how the principles of the marketing message integrate with sales strategies. A good sales technician’s job is to listen to a prospect, ask questions and unveil a problem you can satisfy.

With marketing it is a bit different. You generally have discovered who your market is and shoot your message right to the middle. Its almost certain your message will not hit home for every person and your industry/market will determine how much segmentation is required. Many perfectionists attempt to create a message that is all things for all people. So my advice is once you’ve perfected your primary message, you can begin developing variations for the different segments in your market.

As a side note to Jennie – You may try interchanging the words pain / needs. Art is most definitely satisfying several needs. Each person is unique, but you probably market to group of people that fit a certain profile. For them you may be satisfying any one of the following needs: status, symbol of wealth, greed, pride, or self expression to name a few.

Jesse
www.SpecialsOnTheWeb.com

[Jennie]

a great post, very interesting. The thing that I am struggling with is that my area of work is considered a 'luxury,' something that isn't necessarily a must have, or something that can help a problem per se.

I realize art doesn't tend to fit standard marketing procedure but I think it can help, it's what people respond to.

It's obvious to say that the problem is a blank bit of wall or a couch that needs matching but that isn't the image I want for my work, nor is it appropriate.

The closest I get is that my art can speak to people psychologically, it may help in healing scars or speak to them and help them feel positive and uplifted.

I think the hardest part is to find the problem to solve, because it is so subjective with a wide market it is tricky..