The Mark of the True Marketer

Empathy is the edge.

I never thought much about it.

For one prospect that wanted to provide fresh vegetables from farm to table I suggested that he go to three nearby mega-churches on a Sunday and count the number of Subarus in the parking lot. Following that bit of research, I suggested that he make an offer to all three communities but check results against the Subaru count. The largest Subaru ownership church ordered the most but the order count was the same percentage of Subarus at all three! The psychographics of Subaru owners is the reason why.

Psychograpics is the key.

I watched jaws drop in a business development workshop as I did a “cold reading” on the psychographics of best customers and prospects for different businesses. I simply asked three of the entrepreneurs what the product was that the business delivered. With only that datapoint I suggested the kind of folks they were most successful with. They thought my “guesses” were uncanny. For me it was another day at the office.

Getting inside people’s heads is the difference.

The single thing I’ve found can make a huge difference in how quickly an independent professional’s practice or an entrepreneur’s start-up can be developed is knowing and understanding your customer. Want to scale your business? Know your customer intimately. Want to stay in business when the world is changing all around you? Go talk to the folks that want to start doing business with you. Want to be the butterfly that emerges from confusion? Submerge yourself in the customer.

If your brand is based on the customer’s viewpoint you win.

I’ve found and present a way to brand independent professionals in 3 seconds or less. I call it a hook. That is the first component of 30-Second Marketing which I developed to replace the insufferable “Elevator Pitch.” The difference? You introduce yourself in a memorable way that is based on the prospect’s way of describing the problem you can solve for them in their words. There are three possibilities:

• The Unforgettable Title
• The Beloved Benefit
• The Shock Style Connector

This blog discusses all three: http://jerryfletcher.net/2018/04/3-second-branding/

Networking Ninja is an unforgettable title. I’ve been speaking professionally using that title since 1993.

We build websites that make rain is the beloved benefit I used back in the 90’s to generate business. I managed to put a daughter through college with the consulting fees that opened up.

I’ve never used a Shock Style Connector. For me the jury is still out about the long- term effect of that approach.

Not everyone can become a chameleon.

The ability to become the customer or prospect is a talent that only true marketers demonstrate. Great copywriters must have it. Strategic marketing consultants do not last long without it. On-line sales operations are trying to automate it.

Can you see things from the customer viewpoint?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

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

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