Many small business owners would like to get customers to buy more products or services … and buy them more often. But do we know why people buy in the first place?

According to John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing, ‘People buy on emotion and then rationalise their purchase with facts.’

When promoting themselves, what most businesses focus on is the facts. What we really need to do is tap into that emotion, to form a connection with that person and get to know our ideal customer. Stories can help do this.

Following are 5 ways we can use stories to shape our brand and make an emotional connection:

• Stories help to simplify and explain – Stories are a great way to explain how your product or service works or how it can be used. This is especially helpful for complex issues. Video stories can be very useful here;
• Stories  help customers relate – Success stories and case studies about how a customer used your product or service to solve a particular problem can help others to relate  and connect. People like to copy other people’s success;
• Stories paint a picture of why you do what you do – Stories can help customers understand your passion for your business, and explain a little more about you as an individual. People relate to other people rather than a company and they like to deal with the person behind the business;
• Use stories to build trust and authority – Stories and in particular, testimonials, help establish trust and can demonstrate how you/your business is an authority in your particular area;
• Stories give people something to repeat – Stories assist happy customers to spread that all-important word-of-mouth and to give referrals.

Once you’ve made that emotional connection, you’re well on the way to getting your customers to buy more from you.

What’s your story? If you’re looking for some help to get your story heard, email me - I’ll be happy to help!

Time after time, I hear small business owners lament ‘my marketing doesn’t work’. Quite often, when I ask them what type of marketing they do, I hear stories of how they recently ran an ad in the local paper, or dropped leaflets into the letterboxes of local homes, and received little or no response.

As a small business owner, your marketing budget is often rather limited, so you need to make every dollar count. Following are some helpful tips to stretch your marketing dollar further:

1. Tell ‘em and tell ‘em again – Today’s consumers are overwhelmed with marketing messages, so unless your message specifically addresses a problem they have, it will go unnoticed. Sadly, a one-off advertisement or flyer just won’t cut it. This is why you need to keep marketing your product or service on a regular basis, as your potential customers often need to hear your message several times before they will respond.
2. Get noticed with a punchy headline – Asking a question which addresses the need of your target customer is a very effective method.  For example, ’Does your lawn need mowing, but you just don’t have the time?’ or ‘Isyour book-keeping driving you mad?’ or ‘Want better value for money on your insurance?’.
3. Who are you? NEVER put your business name at the top of your advertisement unless the name of your business solves a problem. Basically, the person reading the flyer doesn’t care WHO you are until you tell them HOW you’re going to help solve their problem.
4. Less is more – Don’t try to cram too much information into the ad – just a few important points are enough.
5. Happy clients help sell your message – Having said that, it’s great to use a brief testimonial from a happy client (with a photo) if you can, i.e. ‘this is how they solved my problem…’, which shows how effective your product or service can be. A third party is always more convincing at selling your product or service than you are.
6. Will it work? It’s a great idea to test your ad copy out on a few people first – preferably someone who will give you open and constructive feedback.
7. Devil in the details – Make it easy for people to contact you. Ensure your phone number, street address and/or website address is prominently displayed. Make sure you double-check for mistakes too – one wrong digit in your phone number or web address can be a disaster! Ensure your staff know about the marketing campaign and that they greet all customers in a welcoming manner. It costs too much to get them ‘in the door’ – you don’t want to lose them before they buy!!

Remember, consistency counts… so keep sending that message out to your clients and potential clients on a regular basis.

If you should need professional copywriting assistance or general marketing advice, please email me – I’m happy to help.

1.  Name tags – Do you have a name tag? Do your staff members have them? Have you noticed how people wearing name tags are often more approachable? By putting your name up front, you’re giving your customers a chance to get to know you and taking an important step towards them liking and trusting you too.  At networking events, having your own name tags can make it easier for people to remember you.

When you have the tags printed, your name needs to be in large bold type, so it’s easy to see. The tag should also include your business name, logo and/or corporate colours. Customised name tags are available at most specialty stationery shops.

2.   Uniforms – Similar to name tags, a uniform can convey your corporate image through colour and style. They can make you look more professional and also make you more memorable to customers, as well as portray a sense of unity and pride amongst your team.

Do your research and find a uniform which suits your business and personality. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Check with your accountant regarding the rules for tax deductibility on uniforms.

3.  Car stickers – Your own mobile billboard. You can choose to cover the entire vehicle in your branding, use the rear window as an advertisement, or print bumper stickers to share amongst your family, friends and customers. All are an excellent opportunity to grab the attention of potential customers and remind your existing customers to return.

4.   Brochures – Ask complementary businesses whether you can do a brochure swap, i.e. you display their brochures and they display yours. A brochure provides more information than a business card, and when written well, can influence your prospect to pick up the phone and call you!

5.   Business card with photo – Having your photo on your card helps people to remember you. A professional photo helps you look approachable too.

Got something you’d like to add to the list? If there’s a branding tip that’s worked for you, please let us know in the comments section below.

I was talking to my client Robyn recently and she commented how much she enjoys getting testimonials. Heck, we all LOVE ahappy client. But she wanted to know how she could make her client’s testimonials sound even more RED HOT, to say more than ‘she did a great job’ or ‘she’s a lovely person’ … without ‘editing’ them herself (big no-no!).

Robyn said wanted the words to come from her clients, but wasn’t sure how to ask them without offending them.  I made the following suggestions…

• State it upfront. When you’re romancing a new client, tell them your business is based on referrals from happy clients and that you will be asking him/her for a brief testimonial on completion of the sale or service. This puts them on notice that your service better be good because you’ll obviously be looking for a positive testimonial
• Deliver great service – under promise and over deliver – be deserving of a great testimonial
• Invite them to be part of your tribe. Everyone likes to belong and feel accepted as part of a group or tribe. Create a client club and/or invite them to a client function. Ask them if you can keep them updated with regular discount/special offers – make it sound enticing. That way, you’re more likely to get their repeat business.
• Make them feel valued. Remind them that you value their feedback and ask them to be completely honest
• Important guidelines. Develop a list of questions to guide the client when writing the testimonial, e.g. What objections (if any) did you need to overcome before you bought this product? i.e. price, delivery, etc. (tailor this to your product/service), What problem did the product/service solve for you?  What benefits did you find after using this product/service? You’re happy to recommend it because…
• Why the list? The most convincing testimonials demonstrate how the client’s objection was overcome or how your product/service solved their problem. Future prospects relate best to this type of statement
• Offer a helping hand. If your client is happy to provide a testimonial but is unsure what to write, offer to write it for them. No, this is not dishonest – you must use THEIR words. Ask them some questions about the problem/s you solved for them and record their comments, then use this as your testimonial. HOWEVER, before displaying the testimonial, you MUST send it to the client and give them the opportunity to edit it as much as they like.  You may also consider asking them to sign off on the final copy and keep it on file, just to cover yourself.
• Don’t wait. On completion of the transaction, ask them for the testimonial. Don’t wait. Ask while the product or service is fresh in your client’s mind. Did I mention, don’t wait??
• Make them feel valued. Yes, I’m repeating this heading – because it’s so important if you want to receive a RED HOT testimonial. Try telling them, ‘We’d love to feature your testimonial on our blog!’… then they reallybecome  part of your tribe.

I’ll be checking back with Robyn to see how many RED HOT testimonials she’s received.

Why not try this out yourself – and please email me with your success stories – I LOVE good news!!

We all know how important it is to make a connection with customers in business today. Smart businesses create brand awareness and influence both prospects and customers by involving them in their story. Think about companies such as Apple computers, Boost Juice or Red Balloon Days … all have built prominent profiles based on their culture and unique story. There are thousands more companies who’ve done the same thing in their own industry or marketplace.

A powerful story:

• creates intimacy
• establishes relationships
• creates a shared experience
• provides a sense of connection
• communicates your values

A poweful story can motivate, persuade and inspire your prospects, turning them into customers – and increasing your bottom line. If you wish to influence others, you must have a good story.

What particular chapter of your own personal story will your target market best relate to?

For example, if you’re a property marketer targeting first-time investors, you might tell your own personal story of how you bought your first property and how you went on to build a portfolio of dozens of investment properties.

Shaping your story

In order to shape your story, you need to be clear on who you are and what your purpose is.

• What are you passionate about?
• Why did you go into business?
• What are your core values?
• What do you specialise in?
• What do you, personally, and/or your business stand for?
• Are you connected with any charity work?
• What common interest do you have with your customers?

You don’t have to be able to answer every one of the above questions, but answering at least some of them will give you an idea of your own unique story. If you’re unsure, you may need to work with a friend or coach to discover some answers

Do you struggle to come up with content for your company eNews or print newsletter? You’re not alone.

Whether you produce your newsletter weekly, monthly, quarterly or occasionally, the most common complaint amongst newsletter compilers is finding inspiration or knowing what to ‘fill it up with’.

Are you guilty of simply grabbing whatever you can find at the last minute, throwing it together and just sending the newsletter out?Unfortunately, this often results in boring your customers with meaningless drivel, or worse still, with customers seeing your newsletter as irrelevant and not even reading it – which is probably not the outcome you were hoping for!

Don’t despair! There’s one secret weapon most professionals use to ensure they always have a choice of quality information ready to use in each and every newsletter….

it’s… THE SWIPE FILE!

What’s a swipe file, I hear you ask? Well, it can be an actual folder or a folder on your computer, where you keep copies of articles from magazines, newspapers and website,s as well as story ideas, pictures or any information which may inspire a future article for your newsletter.

Naturally, it goes without saying that if you wish to reproduce another person’s writing, you need to check on copyright issues. You’ll find most people are happy to have their work reproduced if you include their name, a bio/snippet of info about them (often found at the base of their original article) and a link back to their site or the location of the original article.

If you’re confident in your own writing ability, you might prefer to take one aspect of the snipped article and expand upon that point in your own article. You can quote from the first article to reinforce your point.

Providing quality articles which are of interest to your customers helps to establish trust and builds your profile in their eyes.

Make Writer’s Block a thing of the past… Start your swipe file today - I’m confident it will be a big help when you compile your next newsletter.

If you’re already using a swipe file – share your tips and hints with us by leaving a reply in the comment box below.

As small business owners, many of us would like to get our customers to buy more of our products or services.  To achieve this, it’s important to understand why people buy in the first place.

According to John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing, ‘People  buy on emotion and then rationalise their purchase with facts.’ Most businesses focus on the facts, but we need to firstly tap into that emotion, to form a connection with that person, to know our ideal customer. Stories can help us do this.

Following are 5 ways we can use stories to shape our brand and make an emotional connection:

• Stories help to simplify and explain – Stories are a great way to explain how your product or service works or how it can be used. This is especially helpful for complex issues. Video stories can be very useful here;
• Stories  help customers relate – Success stories and case studies about how a customer used your product or service to solve a particular problem can help others to relate  and connect. People like to copy other people’s success;
• Stories paint a picture of why you do what you do – Stories can help customers understand your passion for your business, and explain a little more about you as an individual. People relate to other people rather than a company and they like to deal with the person behind the business;
• Use stories to build trust and authority – Stories and in particular, testimonials, help establish trust and can demonstrate how you/your business is an authority in your particular area;
• Stories give people something to repeat – Stories assist happy customers to spread that all-important word-of-mouth and to give referrals.

Once you’ve made that emotional connection, you’re well on the way to getting your customers to buy more from you.

Producing a successful eNewsletter is easier than you think. Following are 7 key components successful newsletters have in common.

• WHO are you actually writing your eNewsletter for? Who is your one ideal customer? You need to write your eNewsletter in a way that appeals to her and makes her feel as though you’re writing directly to her, one-on-one. It may help you to write a profile of your ideal customer, including a list of her likes and dislikes, product requirements, etc. – and give her a name.
• Great headings capture attention. Some writers claim they spend 80% of their time writing the heading and only 20% writing the content of the article. Numbers and lists can be useful, as busy people want quick tips and checklists to solve their problems.
• Know the purpose of your newsletter. What are you trying to achieve? Most business produce an eNewsletter to build authority and trust, keep regular contact with customers and/or provide information about their new products and services. eNewsletters are a great tool if you want to truly connect with your tribe – regular bulletins can help them to know, like and trust you.
• Share your stories. People love to hear stories – this helps them connect with you and your business. Tell them about other customers’ experiences (with their permission of course), staff stories – especially good news, awards, travel, adventures, anything that you think they’ll be interested in, that’s topical, newsworthy, useful or that somehow relates back to your business. It’s a good idea to encourage feedback, questions and ask readers to share their stories, as this builds a sense of community and helps build further trust.
• Watch your tone. The tone of your writing will depend on your target audience, but most readers prefer a positive, friendly, conversational tone. Your business eNewsletter is not the place to vent your anger or express negative feelings about customers, products or your spouse! (Yes, I’ve seen people do it… and you have to ask yourself, ‘What kind of impression does that make?’). Comments on industry news or an article of interst are fine.
• Balance information and selling. There’s a variety of theories, but it seems to be generally accepted that you should provide 75% information and no more than 25% selling.  When you do include a sales offer, make sure you include a call to action, a reason to respond now, a place to find more information (if necessary)and a link to click when they’re ready to order.
• How regular are you? If it’s not too personal a question, how often do you … send out your eNewsletter? Yes, we’ve all been guilty of letting it slide and the weeks turn into months and years. Weekly or monthly is preferable, as regularity is important! You might want to survey your readers to see what their preference is for regularity and content.

One more thing… please ensure you include your contact details. So many companies send out an eNewsletter without their logo, email address or contact phone numbers. The contact information you include may vary depending on whether your business is online or a shopfront, but you need to provide customers with an easy way to get in touch with you. Who knows, they may even want to buy something from you! ;-D

Best wishes for the success of your eNewsletter.  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send them to me at info@professionalwriter.com.au. I look forward to hearing from you.  Thanks!