Lights Video Brand!

Yesterday, the lights went on for Don.

He is easily one of the top ten Negotiators in the USA and has a delightful sense of humor.

His e-mail to me before he arrived at my office read: “Don’t mince words. Tell me what you think.”

That was in response to the message I’d sent to the effect: “Use your rewrite if you want to sound like a lawyer (he is) and have people tune out in the first ten seconds.”

I had written a 30-Second marketing script for the video we were going to use as the welcome on his new web site. This was round two. He had added a bunch of modifiers to the Hold part of the script. It was his attempt to get closer to the prospect.

30-Second Marketing

I should explain, 30-Second Marketing is the verbal brand methodology I came up with years ago to replace the “elevator speech.” It is based on the idea that people would rather have a conversation than have a commercial blurted at them. At last count 137 successful independent professionals have let me guide them through this process. Here’s how it works:

Hook ‘em is step 1. It answers the question “What do you do?” in a memorable way. Examples: 

• “I’m a Brand Poobah” (one of mine) 
• “I Untangle money knots” (a money consultant)
• “I take the fear out of queer” (a transgender diversity speaker) 
• “I’m the defogger and accelerator,” (a top corporate advisor).

Hold ’em is step 2. It begins with the words, “You know how…” and defines the problem that most of the prospects that turn into clients have. It is only used when someone expresses interest in your hook. I go on after Brand Poobah by saying, 

       “You know how people keep telling you that you have to have a brand but nobody tells you how to do it?”

Pitch ‘em is step 3. If they are still interested. I go on saying:  

 “What I do is help independent professionals like you craft a unique trust-based brand to build a business, a career and a life of joy.”

Close ‘em is step 4. Again, I only continue if they are genuinely interested. I give them hard data examples like:

• “Brand Poobah brought 6 prospects to me when I introduced myself that way at a national convention of consultants.
• ”The Untangler turned her business around by adapting that name to her web site and in all her speaking appearances. 
• The Defogger’s revenues tripled in the year after he began introducing himself that way. 

When my clients stick to this simple formula across their marketing activities they are successful. No ifs, ands or buts.

Back to the lights.

Don and I went over the script. He immediately understood that if he was to be perceived as an expert but not preempt his client as the hero of the work they would do together that the more latitude he gave them in the hook to define their problem for themselves the easier it would be to keep them with him. His hold included the positioning phrase that will appear on his new website, his business cards, letterhead and all the other usual suspects:

“You know how some business situations are the kind you can’t afford to lose?”

We let them “fill in the blanks” in their world for his three areas of service:

• Selling your company

• Entering into Joint Ventures or renegotiating long term contracts

• Dealing with crippling deadlocks

The pitch included the factor that makes him unique: Collaborative Negotiation Science.

There were three very solid examples in the close.

He really got into the spirit with his suggested closing line for the video. Originally it said:

            “When you can’t afford to lose… call me.”

His addition:

            “When you just don’t see how you can win.”

The final closing line

“When you just don’t see how you can win and you can’t afford to lose…call me… call me

It is spoken straight into the camera. He pauses and then steps forward slightly to deliver the second “call me.”

I knew it was coming and still wanted to pick up a phone. 

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His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com 
DIY Training: www.ingomu.com