SOHO Marketing -- Who Are You and Why Should I Care?

Who Are You and Why Should I Care?
By Bob Leduc

I recently dialed a wrong telephone number and heard the following recorded message:

"Hi. You've reached Mike and Kathy. Who are you and why do we care?"

It was immediately followed by the "beep" signaling my opportunity to leave a message. I obviously dialed the wrong number so I hung up. But then I started thinking about that abrupt message. That's exactly what every potential customer thinks when he or she is exposed to any advertising message... "Who is this and why do I care?"

Do You Know The Answer?
How would you answer a prospective customer who asked, "Who are you and why should I care?" If you were the prospect, would that answer increase or decrease the desire to do business with you?

Prospects may not ask you this question -- at least not in words that blunt. But they are asking it, silently and unconsciously, every time they see your ad, visit your web site or listen to your sales presentation. You can increase the effectiveness of all your advertising by automatically answering it for them. It's actually a two-part question so we'll look at each part separately.

PART 1: “Who Are You…?”
People only buy products and services from companies and individuals they trust. Part of that trust is the assurance that you're capable of delivering the benefit each customer expects in return for the money he or she pays you.

The unspoken answer to "Who are you...?" may be as simple as including a statement like, "authorized distributor for ???" (the name of a well-known company) in your ads or promotional material. New distributors for network marketing companies often use the well-known corporate name of their company to establish credibility for their business opportunity offer. Opportunity seekers tend to overlook the credentials of a novice distributor when the opportunity is supported by the resources of a well-known large company.

TIP: Instead of listing professional credentials or personal achievements, convert them into benefits for your customers. For example, prospects and customers don't care that you were a top producer in your organization last quarter. They do care that you helped so many new distributors just like them get off to a fast start last quarter that their production made you a top producer in your organization.

PART 2: “…And Why Do I Care?”
People buy things because they expect to gain something more valuable (to them) than the money they spend to get it. What they expect to gain is a BIG BENEFIT. That's why they care -- IF they are the right prospects for your product or service.

You control whether or not they're the right prospects. How? By targeting your advertising to reach prospects most likely to have a strong need or desire for the benefits provided by your product or service. It's easy to capture the attention and interest of prospective customers when they already need or want the benefits you provide.

TIP: Be sure to promote the biggest single benefit you offer to prospects in your targeted market. If you target several different markets, determine the most important benefit for each and promote it in that market. The big benefit may be different for each market.

You may never be asked, "Who are you and why do I care?" But prospects and customers silently and unconsciously ask it every time they see your ad, visit your web site or listen to your sales presentation. You'll see a dramatic increase in the results of any ad or promotion when you automatically give them the answer.

Bob Leduc retired from a 30-year career of recruiting sales personnel and developing sales leads. He is now a Sales Consultant. Bob recently wrote a manual for small business owners titled "How to Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards" and several other publications to help small businesses grow and prosper. For more information...

Email: BobLeduc@aol.com
Subject: "Postcards".
Phone: (702) 658-1707 (After 10 AM Pacific time)
Or write: Bob Leduc, PO Box 33628, Las Vegas, NV 89133

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