Hi everyone!
Saw this blog this morning and thought yes! So i'm passing it on. Thanks to Chris Draper for sharing...
One of the hardest things to do when setting your target market is to ignore all that potential business from areas outside your chosen target in your marketing efforts.
With each week’s marketing – little extras can appear – the old “We specialize in …. but we have a wide range of ……. too!
It’s DEATH for your marketing strategy – we all know it, but choose to ignore it, let it slide.
So here’s the challenge ....If you are not upsetting one or two people who are NOT in your target audience – then you are not sufficiently focussed on your target.
Think of the stereotypical 70′s rock band that upsets whole generations outside their target.
Middle aged people upset you don’t carry their clothing styles in your teen-focussed fashion shop.
Mothers upset that you don’t do discount childrens ‘hair cuts’ in your carefully crafted salon service offering.
See how Apple upsets credible techno-journalists who think they should do this or that.
I am sure you can imagine how New Zealand company Hell Pizza has a whole tribe of upset people.
Now I am not saying you should deliberately go out of your way to upset people. But if you are true to your target – some of the potential market will fall outside your net, and if some of these people aren’t clamoring for your attention – wanting you to change – then you are not focussed as much as you think you are.
So – when was the last time you had a complaint – from someone outside the narrow cone of focus you work so hard to maintain?
Chris Draper
For more of Chris's Blogs go to
http://chrisdraper.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/go-ahead-upset-potential-customers/
Monday, August 9, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Sell the Solution
People do not buy products or services, they buy solutions. So ensure you focus not on the products and services when you promote them, but the problems they can solve.
The solution is your offer.
For example - How much better will they feel when they have the solution?
How easy will it be for them to get the solution?
So many people will pick up a pamphlet or leaflet simply to have a look. This is often their first contact with your business. Very few people will buy on first contact.
First we must understand that each offer is simply part of the process of the ‘Know you, Like You, Trust You.’
Every relationship operates like that – yes even our relationship with our clients.
Expecting a client to buy from you on their first contact (leaflet) is like expecting a stranger in the street to accept your marriage proposal! In order to get the other person to want to marry you, you first have to introduce yourself right? Then you need to take them out for a cup of coffee so they get to know you better, and so on. Know you, like you, trust you.
Next thing to consider is this. The people you’re putting your offer in front of needs to actually want what you are offering.
Let me explain. Imagine you were selling squash rackets. You obviously wouldn’t want clients who were looking for hockey sticks. Likewise if you were selling jazz dance lessons, you wouldn’t want clients who were looking for ballet lessons. Make sense? There are niche markets within markets. You must identify who will most want your offer then focus on them. Sadly many salon owners simply focus on anyone with 'hair' or 'skin'. Which is true but far too broad.
Where is your niche market within that market?
That is why targeting your clients in your salon (they already know you, like you and trust you) will have a far greater effect on increasing your sales than anything else you do. Other forms of marketing (eg leaflets) are simply starting a relationship for getting future clients. Does that make sense?
Make your promotion part of each stylists/therapists offer when they talk to each client. So they would first make their recommendation for their colour or skin treatment (that they’re not booked in for) and say something like “We could break up that fringe with some foils/plump up those fines lines... give you a real classy look/make your skin look fresh and glowing ... you'll feel 10 years younger! How does that sound? Great! Now the salons doing a promo we can take advantage of here... where you can get your colour/skin treatment and get given xxxx free! How does that sound?”
Lastly don't put up a promo on the wall and expect the clients to read it – they often don’t like to ask, and anyway it’s our job to ensure our clients get our best deals.
So when you do any promo - have the words for the team, the info sheets within reach, what to say on the phone and above all - sell the solution.
The solution is your offer.
For example - How much better will they feel when they have the solution?
How easy will it be for them to get the solution?
So many people will pick up a pamphlet or leaflet simply to have a look. This is often their first contact with your business. Very few people will buy on first contact.
First we must understand that each offer is simply part of the process of the ‘Know you, Like You, Trust You.’
Every relationship operates like that – yes even our relationship with our clients.
Expecting a client to buy from you on their first contact (leaflet) is like expecting a stranger in the street to accept your marriage proposal! In order to get the other person to want to marry you, you first have to introduce yourself right? Then you need to take them out for a cup of coffee so they get to know you better, and so on. Know you, like you, trust you.
Next thing to consider is this. The people you’re putting your offer in front of needs to actually want what you are offering.
Let me explain. Imagine you were selling squash rackets. You obviously wouldn’t want clients who were looking for hockey sticks. Likewise if you were selling jazz dance lessons, you wouldn’t want clients who were looking for ballet lessons. Make sense? There are niche markets within markets. You must identify who will most want your offer then focus on them. Sadly many salon owners simply focus on anyone with 'hair' or 'skin'. Which is true but far too broad.
Where is your niche market within that market?
That is why targeting your clients in your salon (they already know you, like you and trust you) will have a far greater effect on increasing your sales than anything else you do. Other forms of marketing (eg leaflets) are simply starting a relationship for getting future clients. Does that make sense?
Make your promotion part of each stylists/therapists offer when they talk to each client. So they would first make their recommendation for their colour or skin treatment (that they’re not booked in for) and say something like “We could break up that fringe with some foils/plump up those fines lines... give you a real classy look/make your skin look fresh and glowing ... you'll feel 10 years younger! How does that sound? Great! Now the salons doing a promo we can take advantage of here... where you can get your colour/skin treatment and get given xxxx free! How does that sound?”
Lastly don't put up a promo on the wall and expect the clients to read it – they often don’t like to ask, and anyway it’s our job to ensure our clients get our best deals.
So when you do any promo - have the words for the team, the info sheets within reach, what to say on the phone and above all - sell the solution.
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