The BIG Secret for Marketers!

Defining what you do can be very difficult for most of us. We find it incredibly hard to put into words what we offer. This is especially true of service providers. As services providers, we are so often selling ourselves. This may come as a shock to people. Some of the people that struggle the most with this are those of us in marketing. And YES, that includes me!

It is very hard to boil down 25 years of experience into a sound bite when it is your experience. I have no trouble at all with doing this for others. But when it comes to doing it for me I often stumble. Here are a few of the things I hear.

• I am still not entirely sure what you do but I feel like I need you.
  •    Okay, that is great, but I must fix the first part.
• You need a better hook that catches people’s attention.
  •    I totally agree but for some reason that is so easy for me when it comes to others and so hard when it comes to my own business.
• You should lead with websites because the ones you do are so good and affordable that is where you should start.
  •    Okay I get that, but I also think people say that because it is one of the things I do that is really easy to understand.
  •    But I am taking this to heart and decided where I should in fact lead with websites.

So, what am I doing about it? Well I’m am constantly analyzing it and finding better ways. That is not to say that I am changing my pitch everywhere I go. I am tweaking it and talking to those close to me and my business to see what sticks. And very soon you will see the fruits of what I have come up with right here on our site.

In the meantime, here are some of my Ah Ha moments of late.

• There are different kinds of entrepreneurs out there. They are in different stages of their business life. And I must talk to them differently. I preach to my clients about understanding their target markets, but I was defining mine too broadly. Well no more. Here’s what I am going to do.
  •    I am going to break them down into groups that more accurately depict how they would use me.
  •    I am going to tailor my message to the group that is in the majority in the room.
  •    I am going to group my services in a way that will appeal to those groups.
• Everyone needs a plan for capturing the low hanging fruit. This low hanging fruit can be exactly what you need to cover your overhead. And low hanging fruit should require less of your time and will sometimes grow into other things. Here’s what I am going to do.
  •    I am going to evaluate what I offer and how to package for an audience that needs a more introductory plan.
  •    I am going to make sure I maintain a good margin for myself while still offering something of value.
  •    I am going to treat these products as test drives to some extent. People can get to know me and what I can do.
• Clients belong in the products that are best for them right now. You can’t just lower your price to give them stuff cheaper. That isn’t good for you and your business. Here’s what I am going to do.
  •    I am going to resist the urge to slash prices for people. The price is what it is.
  •    I am going to offer pre-priced products designed to fit the audience for that product.
  •    I am going to create value for my client and build visibility through my delivery.

So as 2018 unfolds you will see more definition from AMI as to what we offer and how we offer it. As with all companies, we are a work in progress. I would love to hear how you are defining yourself in 2018.