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More Clients
- the Online Marketing Newsletter
for Independent Professionals
from Action Plan Marketing
and Robert Middleton

In This Week's Issue: Are you speaking the language of outcomes or is what you are saying raising "doubtcomes"?

 

Outcomes or Doubtcomes?

The theme of my business for 2005 has become "The Marketing Conversation" and this past weekend in a half-day workshop in Las Vegas for NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) Dee Clark, the coordinator for the event, came up with a great way to think about a very important part of this marketing conversation: Outcomes vs. Doubtcomes

The Language of Outcomes

Once you've gotten the attention and interest of a prospect through some kind of problem, issue, challenge or concern, your job is to then continue the marketing conversation by building a solid case for your service.

Most people start speaking the language of "what we do." And this is never compelling. Prospects want to know "what's in it for me?" The language of outcomes speaks directly to this need.

The language of outcomes is multifaceted but it always takes the attention off you and puts it on the prospect. The language of outcomes includes the following components:

Actual Results or Solutions - This should be your big picture outcome, the one that everything else hangs on. It's not about "employment retention consulting," that's a conceptual label. It is about "helping our client companies keep their best talent and save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually."

Benefits and Advantages - This is simply an expansion of your key outcome. You may have a dozen of them. What are all the things your clients get as a result of working with you? How will things change, how will they improve?

Facts and Figures - People tend to pay attention to the things that can be measured. People like statistics, specific numbers and information that is explicit, not implicit. A generality like "Increases productivity" is trumped by "Twenty seven percent decrease in manufacturing defects."

Success Stories and Case Studies - This is really at the core of the language of outcomes. Stories speak to the heart, and help your prospects see themselves actually getting the same results you've provided for your other clients.

All of this sounds fairly simple, and it is, but many people completely sink their marketing efforts because they raise more doubtcomes than they communicate outcomes through their marketing conversations.

The Language of Doubtcomes

What immediately raises doubt in the mind of your prospects? These are the things that can quickly derail the marketing conversation. Are you guilty of...

Poor Preparation - Unprepared professionals don't come across as professional. Doubt is raised as to their ability to get the job done and provide quality service.

Uncertainty - If you doubt yourself and the value you provide, how do you expect your prospects to feel confident in what you are offering?

Hyperbole - When you overstep the bounds of truth, you raise doubts in your prospects. This is one reason marketing has such a bad name. It just doesn't sound believable.

Vague Benefits - If you're not specific about what your prospects will get they may doubt that you can actually deliver. What you're telling them must be specific and clearly beneficial.

Suspect Stories - If your stories aren't completely on the up-and- up and you aren't able to fill in important details, the doubt increases the more you spin your yarn.

Incorrect Information - When it's obvious that you don't know your stuff, give wrong answers or incomplete information, doubt takes over the prospect's mind.

The language of outcomes is the "straight and narrow path" to marketing success. It's doesn't mean that you can't make your marketing conversations interesting, intriguing and compelling. But it does mean that every single thing you say must be backed up with actual credentials, examples and successes.

If you do that, the language of outcomes will turn many a prospect into a loyal client. But if you plant doubtcomes in the minds of your prospects your business is in serious trouble.

More on "Outcomes or Doubtcomes" in Marketing Flashes below.

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Free TeleClass on "The Keys to The Marketing Conversation

As a preview of my upcoming one-day workshops on "Mastering the Marketing Conversation" in Los Angeles and San Francisco in March I'm offering a special one hour Free TeleClass to explain the key principles of using marketing conversations to consistently attract clients. Here are the details:

Date: Thursday, Feb 10

Time: 2:00 p.m. Pacific (5:00 Eastern)

Duration: 60 minutes

Reserve your space now: http://www.actionplan.com/mctc.html

Note: If you are not able to attend this TeleClass, no problem. We will be recording it and making it available through online audio the following week. Just watch this space next week.

Learn more about the one-day workshops at the links below and reserve your space now:

Los Angles (Airport Area) - March 12

http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/lawkp.html

San Francisco (Airport Area) - March 26

http://www.actionplan.com/wkp/sfwkp.html

 

Create a Book That is a "Client Magnet" Quickly

What if you had a published book that could help bring you a lifelong stream of clients and dramatically increase your income? What if you didn't even need to write that book? Or, if you like writing, imagine writing a book in just 90 days.

I've just begun John Eggen's remarkable "Leading Mentors Publishing Program" on how to create a book that will help take my (and your) business to the next level. We've started, but there is still some space for a few more participants. If you'd like to know more about this program, just click on the link below.

http://www.actionplan.com/eggen.html

   

InfoGuru Marketing Manual and Home Study Program

The flagship product of Action Plan Marketing remains the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. It contains so much more than any other book on marketing for Independent Professionals.

Solid Information - Proven, hands-on marketing strategies to help you attract more clients. The manual itself is 288 pages plus you get 150 more pages of articles.

Coaching on the fine points - Sometimes you need to hear something, not read it to really get it. The manual comes with over eleven hours of online audio programs.

Support and Resources - Perhaps the most valuable, yet most underrated part of the manual. Our InfoGuru Support Forum will answer virtually any question you have about marketing - for free! Just log on for ideas, feedback and resources.

And now we've added the 12 CD Marketing Mastery Workshop to the InfoGuru Manual for a complete Home Study Program.

Learn more about the manual and program and order it here.

http://www.actionplan.com/infoguru.html

If you already have the Manual, you can order the 12 CDs here:

http://www.clientmagnet.com/infoguru#home

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Marketing Flashes on "Outcomes or Doubtcomes"

* Outcomes need to be well-thought-out and considered before you use them in your marketing conversations. Doubtcomes arise from a lack of preparation and consideration for your prospects.

* Outcomes aren't clever marketing taglines and sound bites. They are truly the essence of your business. Doubtcomes are triggered when your marketing conversations are poorly formulated.

* Outcomes are full of genuine emotion and authentic excitement about what is possible. Doubtcomes are raised when your marketing conversations are insincere or deceitful.

* Outcomes are specific and distinctive. They actually brand you and your business. Doubtcomes occur when your marketing conversations are vague and ambiguous.

* Outcomes are the value that your prospects are looking for and listening for. They are what prospects actually buy. Doubtcomes are created when the question "what do I get?" is not really answered completely.

Until next week, all the best,

Robert Middleton

ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Helping Independent Professionals Attract More Clients

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www.actionplan.com

210 Riverside Drive
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
831-338-7790

Contact by email

© 2004 Robert Middleton, All rights reserved. You are free to use material from the More Clients eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Robert Middleton of Action Plan Marketing. Please visit Robert's web site at http://www.actionplan.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."

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