It’s not about you.
So you’ve been in business for three generations, you’ve invested in all the latest equipment, you have a spiffy new website and you’re involved in the community. Those are all good things, but guess what? Your customers don’t care!
If you’re in new customer acquisition mode, your messaging strategy should focus not on your attributes, but on what you can do for your customers. In today’s over saturated, uber fragmented, highly cynical marketing environment, consumers want to know one thing: what’s in it for them? It’s not that your history, your equipment, your excellent staff, etc. are not important, they are. And when it comes to customer retention, those qualities can help solidify your customers’ loyalty and enhance your relationships. But when marketing for new customers, you are best served by understanding that it’s not about you. It’s about them and how you can meet a specific need.
So regardless of your advertising medium, craft your selling message around your core proposition, but craft it in terms of how you can specifically solve a problem, provide a resource, deliver information or meet a demand in a way that your competitors can’t. It takes knowing your customer and understanding the benefits your brand offers beyond the surface features of longevity, equipment, people, etc. But if you can do this consistently you will be more successful in acquiring new customers. Next: how to improve customer retention.