July 20, 2011 | A few days ago I was consulting by phone with a BroadsOnBusiness.com member.
A husband and wife run a roofing business. After the last “meeting,” they had sent me examples of their direct mail pieces. It was left to me to tell them gently that these pieces screamed. Fortunately, they took it very well. The husband told me that the reason they sent me their materials to critique in the first place was that they suspected they weren’t nearly so professional as they could be.
One of my observations was that they said every single thing they did on every single mailing, which I stated was telling too much at one time (in one place) and creating confusion. If someone sees how many services you provide, what’s to stop them from worrying about where you’re more or less expert?
Certainly it’s important for your clients to know everything you do, but that’s over a period of time, not shouted out during first or early encounters. In this case it was rather obvious why the mailings were missing the mark.
Next, the pieces were totally sell, sell, sell. As the husband acknowledged, they didn’t build trust. They were only about what the company did.
In one mailing an absolutely fantastic testimonial was buried among all their services!
If you’re too eager to tell your story in a straight-out, factual manner, your marketing might be suffering. How well are you alluding to peace of mind, the joy of entertaining friends, neighbors, families and colleagues; or are you concentrating on how great you are and the materials you’re using?
Where are the photos of people enjoying your magnificent craftsmanship? How about testimonials? These are the means through which to communicate your expertise and high quality. What will a new deck do for their lifestyle . . . and their status?
Entice through emotion. That’s what good marketing is all about.
About Adrienne Zoble:
Adrienne Zoble is a marketing consultant and speaker, who you’ve heard over the years at Deck Expo. She’s the author of “The 10-Minute Marketing Plan” and the online marketing community, BroadsOnBusiness.com, where owners receive monthly education and accountability for consistent, yet inexpensive marketing.
1060 Sailors Reef
P.O. Box 271956
Fort Collins, CO
80527-1956
phone: 970/282-1150
toll-free: 1-866-282-1150
fax: 970/282-1152
azoble@azobleassoc.com
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