| You see them every day-self serving
| |
| | only matter to your prospects as they
|
| marketing messages, cliché-riddled
| |
| | compare you to alternatives, after you
|
| business cards, and sales letters that do
| |
| | have already gotten their attention with
|
| little more than ramble on about a
| |
| | a message that relates directly to
|
| company that you couldn't care less
| |
| | them.3. Weak calls to actionImagine
|
| about. This marketing dead weight doesn't
| |
| | writing a brilliant sales letter, free of
|
| compel you to respond or buy, but instead
| |
| | clichés and puffery. From the first
|
| just bores you with meaningless
| |
| | sentence your readers are captivated by
|
| babble.Why is so much marketing so
| |
| | your thorough understanding of their
|
| pointless? The short answer is time and
| |
| | needs and your clear solutions to their
|
| effort. The easier it is for businesses
| |
| | problems. So how do you end it? With a
|
| to rely on filler, the less they have to
| |
| | weak "Give me a call any time to discuss
|
| actually think about what the customer
| |
| | your needs". After all that build up,
|
| really cares about. Unfortunately for
| |
| | don't go limp at the end when a strong
|
| them, the less they think about the
| |
| | call to action is needed to pull
|
| customer, the less relevant their
| |
| | prospects through to the next step. Tell
|
| marketing becomes.Your own marketing
| |
| | them what to do and why.4. Silly clip
|
| doesn't make the same mistake, does it?
| |
| | artHere are 3 stock photos that are
|
| Of course not! But just to be safe, here
| |
| | guaranteed to add excess tonnage of dead
|
| are some examples of marketing dead
| |
| | weight to your marketing, web site and
|
| weight to keep an eye out for. If you
| |
| | business cards:a. Two hands shaking
|
| find any of these in your own marketing,
| |
| | (intended message: Done deal, let's do
|
| eliminate them without
| |
| | business together, partnership. Real
|
| mercy.1. ClichésThe business cliché is
| |
| | message: I needed a colorful picture on
|
| the most popular form of dead weight
| |
| | my web site and I had no idea what else
|
| thanks to lazy corporate marketers and
| |
| | to use.)b. Skyscrapers (random or city
|
| the small business owners and
| |
| | specific, intended message: Big, strong,
|
| self-employed professionals who follow
| |
| | important. Actual message: We are a tiny
|
| their poor examples of "professional"
| |
| | business trying to look bigger and more
|
| writing for their own material. Here are
| |
| | important than we really are.)c. 2-4
|
| the worst offenders:- "Premiere
| |
| | models/executives all huddled around a
|
| provider", "Number 1", "The Best". It's
| |
| | computer screen and smiling like they
|
| amazing how many businesses all happen to
| |
| | just had a group lobotomy. (intended
|
| be the best in their industries. If you
| |
| | message: ???)If you want to dress up your
|
| are going to claim to be the best in any
| |
| | website or brochure with pretty pictures,
|
| particular area, back it up with
| |
| | use photographs that are at least mildly
|
| measurable facts, preferably from a
| |
| | original, differentiate you from your
|
| reputable 3rd party. Also keep in mind
| |
| | competition and communicate something
|
| that being "the best" probably means more
| |
| | relevant to your market.5. Too many
|
| to you than to a prospect who is simply
| |
| | wordsEvery part of your marketing arsenal
|
| looking for "good enough".- "Committed to
| |
| | has a word budget-the exact number of
|
| Excellence", "Customer Focused", "Results
| |
| | words that it will take to get your
|
| Oriented", "Win-Win", "Integrity",
| |
| | prospects to take action. The more
|
| "Value-Add". These clichés attempt to
| |
| | unnecessary words you use, the fewer
|
| take credit for basic business skills. Of
| |
| | people will maintain interest and finish
|
| course you're customer focused, committed
| |
| | reading. Be brutal in your editing and
|
| to excellence and results oriented! If
| |
| | get rid of every letter that doesn't
|
| you weren't, you'd be out of business.
| |
| | support your core message and offer.The
|
| These types of statements are simply
| |
| | sooner you rid your marketing of dead
|
| empty promises of value. Instead,
| |
| | weight, the sooner you can refocus on why
|
| demonstrate your excellence with samples,
| |
| | you are in business and what will
|
| case studies and testimonials that let
| |
| | motivate prospects to hire you.By Marcus
|
| others brag for you.2. Focusing too much
| |
| | Schaller, Managing Editor of Purple Dot
|
| on the company, not the customerNo one
| |
| | Magazine ( a free online publication
|
| cares about your company, how long you've
| |
| | covering marketing, sales and public
|
| been around, or how professional your
| |
| | relations for small businesses and
|
| staff photo looks. Your company info will
| |
| | self-employed professionals.
|
