5 Questions You Need to Ask

Marketing is the price you pay for being unremarkable - that is a quote from the founder of Geek Squad and it is true. If you are not articulating your fabulousness, if you are not giving your prospective client a reason to hire you then you are being lost the sea of sameness and seen as grey instead of multi colored and there is no clear black or white answer when you make your offer.

Today we're going to talk about five different questions you should ask yourself to help set yourself apart in today's marketing world.  Let's get started!

Most people make the mistake of thinking that marketing is about their business. IT IS NOT. Marketing is about how to capture people's attention in this incredibly short attention span, distraction minefield that we live in.

You see - people want what they want - when they want it, and you need to be able to provide that in a different way than others so that they will not only share your information with everyone they know but will also be begging to buy your products or use your services.

Now stick around to the end I will give you some really key copywriting hints to help set you apart.

When you’re thinking about your strategies for marketing, or selling, or even products and services you develop, you want to think about what your prospective clients are looking for - not what you want to tell them.  You want to not bore them with the how you're going to get them there, but just put them in a space of dreaming and understanding that the solutions that they are looking for are right at hand and attainable, and that you have the ability to help them move towards that goal.

You need to learn how to sell - not pitch, you need to learn how to seduce- not solicit, you need to learn how to offer -and not coerce or manipulate

Here's the top five questions you should ask yourself. 

#1 Why should I consider your products and services?  Put yourself in your customers shoes.  If you were in the market for the solution that you provide why would you consider one company over another.   Most likely is not that your great great grandfathers started the company, most likely it's not that you're following your passions and dreams in your life, most likely it's not your 12 step process. But what is it?  Why should I consider you, your products and services over the guy down the street? How are you different?  What messaging do you have out there that sets you apart?  That's what we're talking about today.. so the first question you ask yourself ..put yourself in their shoes… why should I consider your products or services?

#2 Now that you've established why I should consider you, what about you and your company makes me feel confident that you can provide exactly what you're saying?  This is where the social proof comes in, this is where the longevity of your company comes in, this is where your experience comes in.  But if you're telling them that stuff before the WHY – you need to reverse that.

#3 How are you and your company going to WOW them?  How do you plan to over deliver on your promises? You see in today's world meeting expectations is not enough.  We need to go the extra mile, you need to provide such exceptional service and value that they shout your name from the rooftops and look forward to working with you.

#4 Why should I pay your prices?  This is where you have to establish your undeniable higher value. Show them a different outlook, different perspective, different process, different whatever that allows you to be ahead of the crowd and allows you to rise above the rest.  And when you do - price will not be a consideration.  If you sound like everyone else, and your prices look like everyone else, you made yourself a commodity.   So don't sound like everyone else so that you can be seen as a higher authority.  Experts focus on providing value – and generalists only focused on price. The price only becomes a factor in decisions if you have not clearly established yourself above the pack.

#5 What is the urgency? Why is now the time for them to do this? This is key to setting yourself apart. People that talk in generalities, or the some days, or when you get around to it you should come see me about my products and services, will lose the race behind someone who is saying “we are the authority in this. We understand what you're going through. We understand that you want this particular outcome, and we understand that you're voluntarily giving us your attention for a short amount of time so we want to make the most of that and move towards that goal starting now rather than later.”

“Wouldn't it feel great to solve those problems, and have the ability to move from this and have it set in place with someone by your side that can do more than what you expect, in a shorter amount of time, for a price that reflects the high value you will receive so you can have what you want and desire.”

For sticking around I want to give you some of my copywriting basics, or marketing words if you will.  The key to this is not to use common knowledge language, not to use a set of words that everyone else is using, and not to bore them with your word choice. The first key is to not use words like buy, purchase, read, hire, call, schedule - those are all words that basically say “spend money spend money spend money, I'm gonna sell to you, I'm gonna make you an offer”

Be more creative with your word choice.  Avoid understand, or you will learn, or provide you help.  Instead use action words that are more creative like guidance, clarity, create, embrace, master, conquer.

Do a quick marketing word test after you're done - ask yourself “So what” about every piece.

Are your features highlighted instead of the benefits to them?

Is your focus purely on them understanding what you do and how you can help or is it on what they want,  or the outcome they desire, and the solution they're looking for?

Are you simply doing empty promises that they can see right through as non attainable?

Are you over exaggerating your abilities?

Are you using industry jargon to make yourself look really smart hoping that they will see that they absolutely need you to navigate the solution?

Are you merely saying the same thing that any company could say, and does?

Are you saying things that absolutely cannot happen or could not be proven?

Are you setting yourself up as an immediate need and authority - or as an invisible commodity?

That is the final test when you take a look at how you're differentiating yourself … are you making yourself a priority? Are you using words to articulate how fabulous you, your products and services are?  And are you showing them a different way, a different outlook, and a different solution that they have not heard before?  Or are you selling them the same goods that everyone else is peddling?