Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago · 3 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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Consultant Marketing Magic Words

Consultant Marketing Magic Words

Consultant |!
Marketing

Magic
Words

J.L.LFLETCHER

4 +r Different Slant

We’ve been meeting on Friday mornings for at least a couple years.

A Mastermind

I had attended a conference on gamifying products in the fall before Covid struck. On the last day Luthie asked, “Would you like to join a mastermind group to keep us all on track with what we’ve learned here?”

I accepted the invitation and about 10 of us started gathering. Now we’re down to 7. This morning only six of us showed up as one member is recovering from Covid.

Getting Through

Somehow we got on the subject of getting through to officials in companies in order to sell our products in the corporate market. One member noted that three times in the last three days she had been told: “E-mail doesn’t work.”

  • A friend told her that if she really wanted an answer to phone her.
  • Her son who is a music producer laughed and told her that the only way to get an answer was to text folks
  • A business associate said, “Just message ‘em on Linked In.”

It is not your choice

That’s when I jumped in. People do want to be communicated with. They just want it to be in the way they prefer. In general that is kind of a generational thing. Younger folks may not check their e-mail for days. They tend to be oriented to texting and are offended when you don’t drop everything to respond to their text messages.

I always tell clients to ask how their customers and clients want to be contacted and note that information in their file in the CRM (Contact Relationship Management software) and then use that information regularly.

Better odds

If you really want to be successful these days you need to understand what works and what doesn’t in general. Here are the options and what it takes to reach your objective:

1. Phone is still the best direct contact vehicle for initial contact. Your chance of getting through is at the highest with this vehicle. Three things can happen:

  • They will answer (You will need a script)
  • Your call will go to Voice mail (You will need a script)
  • A gatekeeper will answer (You will need a script)

2. E-mail still works. You just have to know what form and frequency in order to connect. If you are like most you are enamored of the graphically based e-mail systems like Constant Contact and Mail Chimp.

Fact is that the higher the level of management you are trying to contact the more powerful an all-text message can be. Regardless of whether your e-mail is graphically enhanced or just text you may have to send it as many as 9 times to get it opened by a stranger. Scripting it is not a bad idea, especially for multiple messages.

3. Instant Messaging is a more recent option and has a strong following among millenials and FaceBook fans. Again, it does well among those that favor it but will result in minimal success if you are not sure of your target’s preferences.

4. Texting is okay if you have an established contact but it is illegal in the USA these days to text for commercial purposes.

I work with one board member that has six e-mail accounts and looks at them once a week in a good week. Text is his go to if you want to get his attention. Just like Phone and e-mail scripting it in advance is a good idea especially for repetitive touches of different prospects.

5. Linked In is a strong contender for cracking through to key prospects. You need proven scripts for each of these steps:

  • Be sure you have a connection.
  • If not, establish one noting common connections
  • Only after the connection is accepted send a message.
  • Do not sell in the initial message push for a telephone call
  • Sell only after a relationship is established

Never off the cuff.

The key to success in this business is thinking it through in advance. Start with what you are trying to accomplish. If what you are doing is repetitive this is especially important. Over the course of time we start to overlook our intent and we begin leaving out significant details that get us the business By looking at the alternatives and planning for them you don’t get thrown. By writing them down you have a reference for two purposes: honing the pitch based on real life trials and recall of what works should you have a break in doing the solicitation.

Magic words

There are magic words. They can brand you and they can begin to build trust. How you will present them will vary by the communication vehicle you are using. This video describes how 30-Second Marketing works for branding.

The words that build trust:

  • As Promised. Use this as an e-mail subject line. Use it as a way to infer approval from a referral source as in “As I promised, Name, I’m contacting you …” Use it in a text that includes data to connect with you which you agreed to send. Use it wherever you want to increase the trust the contact has in you.
  • Thank You Also a great subject line. It makes the receiver ask, “For what?” and that gets further attention on your message. Try saying it in a handwritten note sent snail mail. You will stand out because so few people do it these days.
  • How can I help? This question allows you to discuss the key problem your prospect may be having. It is particularly powerful when combined with: “If I can’t help I’ll refer you t someone who can.”

Success is all about getting to Trust. As one of my guides said:

“The wise man knows everything, The shrewd one everyone. But the single most important thing about building your business is who trusts you.”

Michael

And so it goes.

Jerry Fletther
Consultant
Marketing

)

QJerry Fletcher is a sought-after International Speaker, a beBee ambassador, founder and CEO of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. See Jerry’s new speaker demo reel.

His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for on and off-line Trust-based Consultant Marketing advice that builds businesses, brands and lives of joy.

Consulting: https://www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking:
https://www.NetworkingNinja.com


Comments

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #10

#8
Thanks Jim.

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #9

#7
Ken, That defilade things comes from being an old artillery man. I like your Aussie version a lot. It explains so many things!

Jim Murray

3 years ago #8

Good advice. More young people should heed it.

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #7

#4
Ha ha! Your “rectal defilade”, Jerry, reminds me of the good old “T in B & M in N”. Thumb in bum and mind in neutral. 😂🤣😂

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #6

#3
John, Thanks for watching the video. It is based on the idea that every potential customer has a problem they want to solve as well as the fact we would all rather have a conversation than hear a commercial Getting a person to take responsibility for their difficulty is, indeed, the first step. My elite consulting clients agree with you completely in that regard and in the way resolution tends to change their viewpoint. Humans are like that apparently regardless of where thy live. And so it goes.

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #5

#2
I'm scheduled to speak on Trust 4 times in the next month. It is completely linked to Brand both in initiating it and maintaining it.

Jerry Fletcher

3 years ago #4

#1
Ken, that ban of texting using lists here in the USA took a lot of people by surprise. i, like you, applaud it. It is similar to the LI contact request approach that now produces a friendly offer of a service that if they read your profile would not make sense! I get too many of these a week and have given up taking the time ot write a note saying Get your head out of rectal defilade. And so it goes.

John Rylance

3 years ago #3

Jerry, I watched the video, and it started me thinking about problem solving and askingfor/seeking help. The underlying message reminded me of when a colleague and I were evaluating the course of what happened with someone when we were helping someone resolve a problem. In simple terms when successful it followed three phases of response. At the intial stage it was "What are you going to do about it?" After a few discussions it became "How are we going to resolve it?" ( Beginning to take responsibility) Culminating in follow ups which elicited the response "We had this problem and we did the following ......" ( Taking full responsibility) While it took more than 30 seconds it seems to folllow a similar pattern.

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #2

Further to below, Jerry, I love how you consistently emphasise the importance of trust which, I suggest, goes hand in hand with consistently good service and communication.

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #1

Interesting take, Jerry, on communication options and some sage advice as always. I suspect, however, that preferences vary across different countries and across different business sectors. In my particular field here in Oz, the preferred modes for most contacts are still email, then phone (voice call). Texting can be a successful option but only between well known contacts and for informal enquires or chats. Personally I hate receiving cold contact text offers and queries on my mobile (cell phone to you) and see this as an invasion of privacy, as do many others. I wish that legislation here would follow your US stance, and ban commercial cold contact texting. As for the old LI, it has never really evolved in Oz into a reliable means of commercial communication. A few colleagues and I were talking recently about how rude it is perceived that, after accepting an invitation to befriend someone on LI, that someone immediately offers their services.

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