Archive for October, 2008

The Power of Why:Your Psychological Ally To Marketing Success!

Here’s why ‘WHY’ is such a profit-making marketing trigger.

“Stop taking two and three plates of food,” my mother said to me angrily.

I was at a wedding and seven years old. Back then, at a lot of the weddings we used to go to, the food would be pre-served on a plate. I could never get enough of those calorie-ridden platters. Waylaying different waiters, (so I would not be recognized), I’d polish 3-4 plates without blinking an eye.

Mum wasn’t impressed, and told me to stop and desist.

“Why?” I’d ask. Her stock reply was always, “It’s bad manners to do that.” This Dustbin Hoffman (yes, I do mean Dustbin and not Dustin) act obviously got her goat, but it left me unfazed. It must have bugged her more than I expected though, because in a short while Dad was peering down at my food-stuffed face.

My question remained unchanged. “WHY?”

“If you invite a hundred people to a wedding, how many would you cater for?” he asked. “A hundred,” I answered, proud of my analytical genius. “If you ate four plates,” he continued, “how many would remain?” He prompted quickly, “Ninety-six right?” I nodded vigorously. “That means some people don’t eat. If you’re so hungry, we can go out after the wedding and get something to eat, but don’t deprive others.”

Dad Made Sense. Do You?

Dad understood psychology. He had to sell my brain an idea that my rumbling stomach didn’t want to understand. And he did it by answering the question, ‘WHY?’ How many of us ignore this powerful trigger in our marketing because it seems too obvious, almost too simple?

Why ‘Why?’ Puts Elvis’ Shaking and Moving to Shame

Let’s examine the six honest men. What, How, When, Where, Who and Why. Which one of these is the most powerful psychological movers of them all? This would be better answered with an example.

Let’s assume you needed to go to the supermarket. All the other triggers (how, when, where, who and what) would make absolutely no difference if you didn’t know ‘WHY’ you were headed there. Everything else would be totally irrelevant. Once you know WHY you’re doing something, everything else is just a matter of logistics.

Why Does 90% of Advertising and Marketing Communication Go Down the Drain?

Simple. Look for the WHY in advertising and scarcity pops up instantly. All the fancy layouts and the smart headlines can’t quite compensate for the niggling question that goes unanswered. All your customers want to know is, Why should I choose you? Why should I take this decision? Why should I spend this money? Why should I look at your website? Why should I read your brochure?’ Why should I listen to your speech? ‘Why? Why? Why?’

Dump the cotton woolly fluff. Get your customer’s brain to go scrambling like an over-enthusiastic pup after a Frisbee. Once you have enough WHY factor built into what you’re selling, everything else is just clip, clop, fall in place stuff.

Be an Accountant, Do an Audit

Look at your communication. Like reeeeeeeaaaaally look at it! What about your website? Does it answer the question WHY straight up? And does it do it on the first page? How about your brochure? Does its headline make it a cinch for dustbin land? What about your speech? Do you have enough beds to compensate for your lack of WHY?

I could go on, but I suspect you get the message.

Be merciless. If the WHYs don’t stack up, dump the communication. Or chop and change it till it does.

Finding the Right Level of Why Power

If you noticed, Mum actually answered my WHY question. She just didn’t answer it to my satisfaction like Dad did. Herein lies a subtle, yet formidable difference.

It’s not enough to simply have the WHY question answered. It’s got to be the most ‘Rambo in your face’ answer, or it will bounce higher than a defaulting check. Let your WHYs loose on each other, and let only the one with the most testosterone come out shining.

Aristotle — Man, Was he Smart or What?

All communication must lead to change.

That’s what the old wise man said over 2300 years ago. Not some or most communication.

All.

Yet we are dealing with customers that inherently detest change. WHY is the only motivator that allows them to make that shift. Change is still a scary word, but at least the justification sits nicely in their cranium.

In fact, if you look closely, even a WHAT question like, What’s in it for me?, is really a “WHY” issue. All it is saying is ‘Why should I pay attention?’ Give your customers the WHY factor and their buying sprees will reflect nicely in your growing bank account.

This is simple, down to earth advice. Yet it represents one of the most powerful psychological triggers why people buy. WHY on earth would you ignore it?

©2001-2008 Psychotactics Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Wouldn’t you love to stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? Find simple, yet electrifying ideas, on copywriting, public speaking, marketing strategies, sales conversion, psychological tactics and branding. Head down to http://www.psychotactics.com today and judge for yourself.

The Importance of The Exit Clause

Imagine you’ve stepped into a cinema. And the lights go dark.

So dark that it’s hard focusing on your hand in front of you. And then you see it.

So what do you see?
Yup, it’s the ‘Exit Signs’. They glow in the dark. Isn’t that ironic? You’ve barely entered, and what you’re seeing are ‘Exit Signs.’ And that’s precisely what you need, the moment you enter into an agreement with someone.

Someone like a strategic alliance
Or someone who’s going to be doing a joint venture with you. Or someone who you’re about to hire. No matter if that person is a
friend, or a relative, or even your mama. What you need is an ‘Exit Clause.’ That’s nicely wrapped up in an
agreement of sorts.

And yet, people hate agreements
When you bring up the word ‘agreement’, they start to disagree. ‘I trust you,’ they’ll say. ‘Why do we need all this paperwork?’,
they’ll say. And you’ll start to buckle down. You’ll shrug. Probably thinking they’re right. And they’re wrong.

I know this because I’ve been there before
We were doing a workshop with some partners. We shook hands on our agreement. We were sensible adults. We had a plan, right?
But that’s not the way things work. Murphy’s Law kicks in, and when ol’ Murphy comes-a-kicking, there’s
a lot of ‘you said this’, and ‘I said that.’

And guess what? We shook hands, didn’t we?
Well, that handshake wasn’t worth much when the crap hit the fan.

Which is why you want to have an exit clause in place. So what does the exit clause do?

The Exit clause forces you to work out:
1) What needs to be done.
2) The date/time by which it needs to be done.
3) The responsibility of both parties involved (and who’s doing what).
4) What happens if you miss a deadline.
5) How do you get out of the agreement/contract?
6) Penalties, if any.

Factor 1: What needs to be done:
You may want to skimp a bit on the details of exactly what needs to be done, but believe me, it’s not a good idea at all.
It’s only when you sit down to write an agreement, that you are able to map your way into the nitty-gritty of what needs to be
done. A project will often be looked at from a ‘bird’s eye-view’, but at ‘ground level,’ there are millions of things that need to
be done.

Mapping out what needs to be done, gives you that intricate detail. And in turn gives you the chance to create a reasonable
time-frame.

Factor 2: The date/time by which it needs to be done
The deadline of each deliverable is important, because otherwise the entire project goes haywire. And this is when all
the grumbling begins. Of course, this grumble soon takes the escalator to a ‘rumble.’ And before you know it, there’s anger on
both sides.

Deadlines that fall by the wayside are an early-warning system. If both parties, don’t stick to a deadline, then it’s better to pull
back and analyze why things aren’t moving the way they should.

Factor 3: The responsibilities
Once you’ve got what needs to be done, assigning responsibility is critical. Often, assigning the responsibility to individuals may not be possible, and rarely
practical. It’s better to have one point of contact than many. This single point of contact is more important than you think.
If you’re chasing after even two-three people in the other organization, then you’re getting yourself a full-time job. One point of contact avoids the
nuisance-factor completely.

Factor 4:  What happens if you miss a deadline
Some people may say: What’s the problem with missing  a deadline here or there?
I disagree.
The deadlines snowball. And believe me, I’ve been in that avalanche.

And there’s no turning back.

You have to decide in advance, how many missed deadlines are acceptable. A missed deadline can be a missed opportunity. And more importantly, it
can put all your plans out of whack. Missing deadlines on a continuous basis are like planes circling over the airport. You wait too long, and
bad things start to happen. Deadlines are really your early-warning system. You want to specify

how many missed deadlines are acceptable, before you start to reach for the exit clause.

Factor 5: How do you get out of the agreement?
So things have gone wrong. Do you know how to get out of the joint venture? Is there a 15-day notice? A 30-day notice? A
48-hour notice? How fast can you get out, and what are the reasons to bail? (e.g. three missed deadlines and you give a 48-hour
notice).

Factor 6: The Penalties

Ah, the lawyer-zone. It depends on whether you want to impose penalties or not. It depends completely on your
organization, and how much you stand to lose. However, if you’ve got a small joint venture going on, it’s best
to simply go your separate ways. But hey, this ‘going your separate ways’ needs to be put in the agreement.
The last thing you want is for the other party to sue. The last thing you want to do is take your eyes off your business.

You got into this joint venture to increase profits and customers.
Not to get stuck in some fist-fight. Putting together this simple document may take you an hour or two
But it will save you dozens of hours of arguing, and also a potential legal-wrangle.

So if you’re getting into an alliance make sure you have the paperwork. And that way you know exactly where to find the Exit.
Even when the lights go dark.

©2001-2008 Psychotactics Ltd. All rights reserved.
Wouldn’t you love to stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? Find simple, yet electrifying ideas, on
copywriting, public speaking, marketing strategies, sales conversion, psychological tactics and branding.
Head down to http://www.psychotactics.com today and judge for yourself.

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Brand and Why Twins Have the Same Surname and Different First Names

Parents know it instinctively. To differentiate one from the other, they give their newborn different names. Most businesses beg to differ, and often end up giving the same name to multiple (and widely differing) products, without realizing the negative impact on the brand.

Whether you’ve got a growing business or a well-established one, it’s important not to ignore that important law of physics. Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. This branding article
will show you why!

Why Brand And Line Extension Don’t Work

Heard of a cheese company called Kraft? You say Kraft and people say cheese. The amazing association of cheese with their name should have kept the company smiling for decades. But that didn’t happen. Like most companies, Kraft figured they had a great brand name that would extend to a whole range of foods.
So, they went and line extended into jams, jellies and mayonnaise among other food stuff. According to their reasoning, they were still in the food business.

Their Accountants Might Not Agree

In jams and jellies, the American brand, Smucker’s owns 35% share of the market. Kraft has 9%. In mayonnaise, Hellman’s owns 42% of the market share. Kraft has 18%.
Despite being a major cheese company, Kraft (amazingly) isn’t hitting the top of the charts. The only winner it has is called, not Kraft, but a cream cheese called Philadelphia, which has 70% of the market. By trying to be all things to all people, Kraft (like many others) has ended up with a great brand name, but few real winning products.

What Goes Through The Customer’s Mind?

Remember your cousin John, the lazy guy? Or your brother Bruce, the industrious guy? Or Diane, the smart one? If you grew up with a mental image alongside a name, the attributes of that person stick with you for life. One name, one attribute.

Most customers are exactly like you. If you say Honda in Japan, people think of a motorcycle company. If you say Honda in any other country, people think of cars. People don’t seem to make the leap at all. Once your product/service has a fixed attribute in their mind, it burns itself in. No matter what you try and do, it cannot be re-invented.

The movie Saturday Night Fever made tons of money. So, what did they do? They took the same formula and called it Grease. Same stuff, different name, but consistent profits. On the other hand, every sequel of most movies has consistently gone downhill. Sure, Rocky went the distance, but you have to question whether it fed Sylvester Stallone’s bankroll or his ego.

How Successful Companies Power Their Brands Forward

Know of Barbie and Ken? Your grandmother does and so will your kids. Barbie and Ken have never changed what they stand for.
They’ve outlasted the Ninja Turtles, the Cabbage Patch dolls and every other toy in sight. And will continue to do so in the years to come. That’s because Barbie and Ken stand for dolls with interchangeable clothes. Nothing more, nothing less.

That’s exactly what successful businesses do. They occupy a niche and they defend it. Look at publishing companies. They bring out a magazine, they call it Men’s Health.

Then they bring out another magazine and another one and yet another one. And every magazine is given a different name. Go to a newsstand down the street and have a look at the magazines. No magazine is all things to all people. Each one has a specific positioning, name and target audience.

The Problem With New Brand Names

It’s expensive to launch a new brand. That’s why most head honchos in companies take the safe route to extend their line. Besides, it’s not like line extension doesn’t work. It works fantastically well. Then it sputters, chokes and dies slowly.

This is because when brands are first extended, people are eager to try out new products. However, they soon tire of it and go back to the brand that defines clearly what they’re after.

How Creating A New Brand Can Help You Focus

Take a look at New Zealand today. There are two airlines from the same parent company. One is called Air New Zealand and the other is called Freedom Air. Air New Zealand stands for top class airline service, with all the frills. Freedom Air is zero frills.

All the tactics and the strategies can be worked out independently as they function (and exist) as two different companies. If Air New Zealand started an airline called Air New Zealand Budget, it would have watered the whole brand giving both airlines no identity of their own.

Less Is More

A niche can make you more money than being a generalist . Resist the urge to be sailor, soldier and candle-stick maker to everyone.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Surely, you’ve heard that. Now believe it and implement it.

Why Do We Have So Many Marketing Sites

The other day I had someone that was a researcher like myself look around follow some of my links and come up with a quick question.  Why do you have so many sites? I thought to myself for a bit and decided it would be nice to give a little background on our sites 87 to be exact even though only a few are in production at any given time.

The site that most people read is www.TrueYouMarketing.com This site was my first custom WordPress site and is the official site for our small business article blog. We have about 5-10 thousands readers each month that come to find good business information from ourselves and other sites that we read who love for us to share their content.

Our corporate site which is our company name the one80group www.one80group.com  This site has been in production for 10 years or so and is where most people know us from. It is a static boring site listing all the wonderful clients that we work with and some of what we do for them, the same clients that you see on the client pages on our blogs.

The two newest ones that you may see links to from my postwords seo stuff are www.billiondollarmarketing.com and www.bignobody.com I created these two sites to help with SEO and give me a place to play around with SEO, WordPress plugins, and other fun things without fubaring my site www.trueyoumarketing.com  that is part of the FORBES blogging network etc. These two sites automatically get their content from the main site through the WordPress syndication plug-in and use a modified version of the wp-seo plug-in so that each one points to the next one creating a circle. Now before anyone goes what about the duplicate content thing…..well lets just say that is something for myth busters to look into.

Right now you might be thinking ok that is three sites, what about the other 84. Well they are for many different things, but most just have 1 page that links to www.one80group.com so that we stay first page for marketing strategy experts and strategy experts.

If you get really bored and want to know more shoot me an email at mark (at) one80group.com. Sorry had to do that because of the email spiders. On another note since we love small business I will be donating 1 hour a day to help someone with their business starting Monday October 6th. It will be first come first serve. Send me an email if interested. Just trying to do my part to help business owners impacted by the recession.

Have a great day.

How To Get Customers To Beg For Your Business Card!

When someone asks you what you do, what is your first reaction? Most of us say something like, ‘I am a lawyer’. We all know what lawyers do, so the conversation stops and goes nowhere. However, if you tailor your answer within these parameters, you’ll suddenly find a very interested audience.

For example: Conversation With A Cartoonist

Q: Hi Sean, what do you do?

Sean: Business communication is often very flat. I help to make it exciting.

There are 3 operatives in that statement.

Operative 1: Your target audience — in this case it’s business people.

Operative 2: The problem — this is very important. Always have a problem.

Operative 3: The solution — how you fix the problem.
Q:How do you do that?

Sean: I use cartoons to help businesses get their message across. (This is the process.)
Now they’re interested. They’re nodding, and want to know more. So, keep talking.
Cartoons are likeable, and memorable (Your Positioning Statement). Because cartoons are a visual medium and capable of great exaggeration, people tend to relate to them quickly and retain the information much longer. (Further information about your product/service.)

Finally give them a case study.

For example, DHL Express was having a conference. (This was their situation.) This is how we solved the problem, and as a result they had a fantastic seminar!

End every conversation with your business card.

This is vital because it prompts others to give you theirs. If they don’t automatically reach for theirs, don’t be shy. Just ask for it!

Now let’s look at a normal conversation

Q: Hi Sean, what do you do?

Sean: I am a cartoonist.

Q:Ooh, that’s cool. Which newspapers and magazines do you draw for?

It’s now too late to steer the discussion because it’s already taken a different track. In the first conversation, I could actually control the line of questioning. It ensured that my message got through undiluted.

Why this positioning is so vital.

More often than not, people have no need for your product or service, but they will invariably run into someone who does. The clarity of your audio logo, will help the listener totally understand what you have said. And they might even be able to replay it word for word.

Going in for the kill.

Whip out your business card, and don’t forget to ask them for theirs. Get them in your database. Keep in touch with them. If you have a website, you can direct them to the website.

You have now done everything a sane business person can do. The results will definitely follow.

Steps for your audio logo.

1) Determine your target audience.
2) Insert the problem.
3) Provide the solution.
4) Explain the process.
5) Get across your positioning statement.
6) Give them additional information and a case study.
7) Give them your business card and ask for theirs.

Going through the steps of an audio logo might seem tedious, but once you develop it, you will find it quite easy and natural. So write it down, and practice saying it today!

©2001-2008 Psychotactics Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Wouldn’t you love to stumble upon a secret library of small business ideas? Find simple, yet electrifying ideas, on copywriting, public speaking, marketing strategies, sales conversion, psychological tactics and branding. Head down to http://www.psychotactics.com today and judge for yourself.

Can you convert your marketing into a religion?

We’ve all seen that. And if it works for a bunch of crazies, why not make the same marketing strategies work for your product or service? Can you possibly adapt a system that has worked flawlessly for thousands of years to your business? Do you want to have customers chanting your name endlessly?

Sure you do! Read on and I’ll show you how it works!

Why Grandpa’s Restaurant Died!

Grandpa’s restaurant was his pride and joy. The food was yum! The service was basic, but quick. And the prices pretty much ensured a happy little paunch over time. Yet amazingly, the customers dwindled and the restaurant slowly rode away into the sunset.

I was in shock. That was my goodbye to free meals forever. You may not think much of it, but I was twelve, and in that traumatic instant every single free meal of my impending teenage years flashed before my eyes.

So what did Grandpa do wrong? He had a whole cohort of hungry disciples, yet he never did anything with them.. Here are a few marketing strategies he could have taken that would have ensured my rumbling tummy rumbled no more!

Magical, Magical Data!

Every day, millions of people walk in and out of restaurants. Yet most restaurants know not where they come from, or where they go, or when they will be back.

Wake up and smell the coffee you’ve been selling!

When they eat at your place, they become existing customers. And fifteen seconds after their delicious dessert, they become DORMANT! How the heck are you going to get them back, if you don’t know anything about them? The only way to do that is to collect data, much like this website does. When you know your customers a bit better, you can talk to them personally, and cater to their individual needs.

Can I Have Your Name While You Finish Your Beef?

Yes, you figured it out. You can’t do that. And the time between their eating and walking out, is so fleeting that you may as well not try. So what do you do? You count on a basic human factor — greed.

All of us are greedy and getting something for nothing is what we’d stake our steak on.

Imagine this scenario: You walk up to a more than satisfied customer right after the meal. Instead of the usual moronic, "How was your meal?", why not ask, "Was the food good enough to come back again?" Now that’s a specific question. If they say yes, you give them a little form, informing them that their next meal is a whole 15% off. Would they like to fill in a form with their email address and postal address so that we can send them a voucher?

Aha! In one second, your database is off the mark, and you can pretty much bet that the yummiest of those seven deadly sins will kick in to get that customer back! Better still, you’ve got their permission to start a relationship. Yippee Doo!

How to Get Your Data Simmering

Once you have their information on file, how do you use it? The worst thing you can do is tell your foodies about how good you are. Tell them what they want to hear!

They are food lovers, remember? How can you entice them? Can you reach out and give them something special? Could you throw in a frequent-eater deal? Reach into their greedy stomach and something snaps in their brain, causing them to eat eight times a year, just to make ‘eat points’. With every trip, they get to know the restaurant system better. They order stuff they like. They feel happier. People know them. They find a favorite table and God help anyone who crosses their path.

They have now reached the level of fanaticism.

How to Turn the Fanaticism Into a Religion

The only way to start a religion is to get disciples. Digging into your database, invite your best fanatics for a special thank you meal. Suddenly, you’ve got an advertising campaign for the price of a leg of lamb with mint pesto and baby carrots.

They are the disciples. Their burps spread the word. You sit back and rake in the moolah.

Besides, by networking like-minded people together, you’re increasing their chances to do business with each other. The richer they get, the busier they become, and the more they want a place that knows and caters to their needs. The friends they bring along reflect their own wealth and status, thus sending the whole system in an unending loop of upgraded customers spreading the good news in double quick time.

Getting the Kinks Out of The System

If good news is a jumbo jet, bad news is a Concorde. However, regular customers get comfortable with you and don’t mind complaining. They nit pick with the loving tenderness of mom and make sure you stay in line. You couldn’t pay for this feedback if you tried.

So, try!

If a regular customer complains, make sure she gets rewarded for complaining. It’s like rewarding a puppy for good behavior and what you really need is a steady stream of complaints to fix your systems constantly.

Grandpa never heard the complaints. The customers simply didn’t show up again. And his business walked out with them never to return.

Grandpa made his share of mistakes but there’s no reason why you can’t learn from them. The same marketing principles apply whether you’re in the food business or selling coffee mugs.

These are the strategic steps:

1) Throw in The Bait: Entice them with something to part with the data. If at first it doesn’t work, keep trying till you find something that does. Then, repeat it with every customer.

2) Use the Data Creatively: Think GREED. How can you make your customers want to keep coming back? You’ve got to appeal to base instincts.

3) Form a Club: Well-organized disciples are better than random fanatics. If one club gets too big, form another,and then another, till you have a whole series of people who swear by you, and for you.

4) Don’t Be Shy: Make them also swear against you. Get feedback. Encourage it. Pay for it. Just do it!

Which brings me back to me. Why did I choose a restaurant as an example when I could have chosen any other product or service? The prime reason is simply because restaurants involve impulse decisions, and patrons are very fickle. Proving it works in this field proves it can work in almost any other.

But there’s a selfish motive, too. I’m hoping some restaurateurs out there will be so pleased with this information, they’ll offer me free meals forever! That way, I can catch up on the teenage years.

Finally!