From One Entrepreneur to Another
Are you overlooking the golden rule of marketing? Every holiday season, the volume of promotional email soars as our customers work hard to get their offers out to customers. If you’re like most of our customers, you’re eager to get your message out, too. But cutting through the noise can be quite the challenge. The other day, Scott and I were talking about the challenge so many entrepreneurs have in getting their message across. As entrepreneurs, we often feel like we’re shouting our mes- sage into the wind, only to be ignored by the customers we know we could serve well, if only given the chance. Well, it doesn’t have to be so frustrating, if we remember this golden rule of marketing: Your customers don’t care about what you offer; they care about their problems.
As entrepreneurs, we naturally talk about the solution we offer. We tout the features and benefits of the products and services we’ve worked hard to create for our customers. We easily and endlessly talk about what we can do for our customers because we want to serve them, we want to grow sales, and we want to accom- plish our goals. But all those words are wasted if we don’t remember this golden rule of marketing. When we were early in our busi- ness, one of my mentors, Dan Kenne- dy, said, “Remember that you aren’t a small-business owner, you’re a marketer. And remember you aren’t a marketer of your product or service, you’re a marketer of information. And remember you aren’t a marketer of information about your product or service, you’re a marketer of infor- mation about the problems solved by your product or service. In other words, talk about your customers’ problems (that are solved by your product or service) and you’ll attract customers. That simple lesson made all the difference as we prac- ticed it and our business took off. A friend and longtime Keap cus- tomer, Donald Miller of Storybrand Marketing fame, says it this way: “As you fish for customers, the hooks are your customers’ problems. Put enough hooks in the water and you’ll catch a lot of fish.” And I would add that your lead magnets are the bait on your hook. Remember, your lead magnet is the most compelling thing you can give your customer, which addresses their problems. So, as the volume of marketing messages skyrockets this holiday season, make sure you’re not ignoring the golden rule of marketing. Put your hooks and bait out there, and you’ll catch a lot more fish! –Clate
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