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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: To get attention, interest, desire and action you need to use this key marketing technique.

 

Speaking the Language of Results

Our story so far...

For seven issues of More Clients I'll be outlining the most important marketing principles for Independent Professionals - principles which, if mastered, will help you attract clients with a lot more success and a lot less struggle.

The format is a dialog between an Independent Professional (IP) and a Marketing Coach (MC). Last week we explored the Most Important Marketing Spirit.

For past issues in this series go to:

http://www.actionplan.com/mc/MoreClients.html

 

Before we start: Please note that the next semester of the Marketing Action Groups opens for applications today. See below for details.

 

MC - How did it go with your assignment to test your Audio Logo with several people?

IP - It went better than I'd expected. I realized that it just wasn't what I said that made a difference, it's what I didn't say. I did what you recommended - used the Audio Logo and then shut up and noticed how people responded.

Several people didn't respond much at all and I was disappointed until I realized they weren't really prospects anyway. I used to waste my time talking to people who would never buy my services. But some people actually were qualified prospects and I did get their attention.

MC - Tell me how it went.

IP - Well, the hardest thing was resisting the impulse to jump in and tell them all the things I could do for them. Instead, when they asked me more about what I did, I turned it around. I was pretty proud of myself. I got them talking about the problems of productivity, teamwork and leadership in their businesses.

MC - Sounds like you did well. How did those conversations end?

IP - Well, a few gave me their business cards. But I'm a little stuck. I'm not sure what to do next. It looks like I got them onto first base but I have no idea how to get them onto second.

MC - What we're going to talk about today is how to do that - what I call the Most Important Marketing Technique. In the context of the Marketing Ball model you might say I'm going to show you how to hit the ball and run the bases the most efficient way by using the language of results.

But your running is off to a pretty good start. Can you tell me a little more about what happened in your initial conversations? And can you tell me what didn't go so well?

IP - Although I did a pretty good job of letting them talk, I had a very hard time telling them about what I did for clients without getting into my process. A couple times I got very conceptual and I could see their eyes glazing over!

MC - I know that look well. Tell me more.

IP - And I was terrible at wrapping up the conversation and knowing how to move things forward. So even though I was making progress, I didn't feel I was "knocking the ball out of the park."

MC - I'm glad you brought that up. It's easy to put our expectations way too high when we talk about our services. The goal is to get on first base - to get some attention and interest and then to establish a little trust and credibility. Finally, we want to open the door for a possible follow-up.

However we're impatient to do more than that - to knock the ball out of the park. We want to utter our Audio Logo and have someone say, "Oh, my God, you do that!!?? I've been looking for someone who could do that for years!!! I have a half million dollar budget. Can you come over today and help us out???

IP - Yeah, I get it. That's never going to happen. What I hear you saying is that base hits and going around the bases one at a time is what it takes to get a new client.

MC - Exactly. But you can still learn how to more quickly and efficiently get a prospect on one base after another until they become a client. That's by using the language of results.

Are you familiar with the word syntax?

IP - Isn't that the way words are arranged to form phrases and sentences?

MC - Yes, and syntax is what makes sense out of things. If I said, "I'm going outside to play baseball" it would mean something very different than saying "Outside play I'm going to baseball." The words are the same but the syntax is different and the meaning changes.

IP - And this has what do do with marketing?

MC - Well, in your assignment I showed you the first steps of Marketing Syntax. I told you to say two things - the clients you worked with and the problems they were experiencing. This is what got you some attention and interest.

Marketing Syntax is the way marketing messages are arranged to generate attention, interest, desire and action. If you use the right order you get better results than if you use the wrong order.

And what I've found to be the most effective overall Marketing Syntax are messages arranged in this order: Target Market - Problem - Outcome - Value - Proof - Offer.

IP - And you're saying that when I talk to people about my business and I use the language of results or Marketing Syntax I'll ultimately attract more clients?

MC - I've proven it over and over. Let me give you a brief summary of how it works. In this case we'll use the scenario where you're networking and meeting with prospective clients and the topic of your business comes up. You want to try your best to talk about your business in this order:

Target Market - You always want to say this first. People want to know that you recognize and understand them. You let them know immediately that your message is for them. "I work with..."

Problem - Next you want to talk about the problems, challenges, issues and predicaments they are facing. This shows you understand them and can relate to them. They automatically want to know how you can help. "...who have XYZ challenges..."

Outcome - This is the mirror image of the Problem. The next thing people want to know is what ultimate Outcome or solution they'll get from you. They want to be assured you can actually help. "Our clients say the main thing they get from us is..."

Value - Next people want to know more about that Outcome. They want to know the various benefits they can expect to receive. So all the benefits you provide is very welcome news. "And some of the key benefits they receive are..."

Proof - After people have heard your Outcomes and Value they want some Proof. "Have you done this before with people like me?" And the best way to give Proof is by telling success stories. "A client we worked with recently had a similar issue..."

Offer - Finally, after you've gotten this far, you need to make an Offer for something. People at this point want even more information about your ideas. "I have an article that explains this in more detail. Can I send it to you?"

IP - Wow, you make it sound so simple, but I'll bet it's harder than that. It seems to me that persuasion is more of an art and you've reduced it to a six-step process!

MC - Well, it is harder than that - after all, the basic rules of sentence structure are pretty simple too, but it takes some time to learn a language. Nevertheless, having a formula to follow is a great way to get the hang of basic persuasion.

I call Marketing Syntax the most important marketing technique because you can use it every single time you communicate about your business - in a one-on-one conversation, in a letter or email, in the content of your web site or even in an article.

So the next time you talk or write about your business, use Marketing Syntax and you're guaranteed to get more attention, interest, desire and action than if you didn't use it.

My assignment for you this week is to talk to more people about your business and to continue the conversation using Marketing Syntax. After you've gotten attention with the Target Market and Problem, generate more interest and desire with your Outcome and some Value. Then move people to action by making an Offer to send them more information.

And when we talk next week we'll discuss what I call "The Most Important Marketing Activity." This is how to get your name and message out there to a wider audience and gain trust and credibility without spending a lot of money.

Dear subscriber, I invite you do this assignment yourself as well.

Don't just talk to people about what you do, use Marketing Syntax and the language of results. Make sure to wrap up every marketing conversation with an Offer.

 

Marketing Action Groups - Opening Today

Have you gone as far as you can with this eZine, the InfoGuru Manual and Audio Programs? Are you looking for more specific support to get your marketing focused and on-track?

The six-month Marketing Action Groups may be for you. I promise to "hold your feet to the fire" as you work on developing and implementing your marketing plan. You'll have the commitment and support of a group of twelve InfoGurus who want to take their business to new heights.

I only have room for 24 new people per semester, so space is very limited. It's first come, first served. Every semester I fill the groups and have a waiting list. In fact eight spaces have already been taken by those on the list.

The first step is to learn more about the program and then fill out an online application for the groups starting mid June and going through December. Complete details here:

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

 

First Step - The Comprehensive Marketing Manual

Your first step towards attracting clients more consistently is the InfoGuru Marketing Manual. It includes a detailed, 288 pg. how-to manual (pdf or hard copy), eleven hours of audio tutorials and the InfoGuru Support Forum where you can get all your marketing questions answered (plus a whole lot of extras such as 150 pages of articles and other goodies).

This manual is the all-in-one marketing guide you've been looking for if you're an Independent Professional and don't have as many clients as you'd like. Learn about it here:

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

 

Until next week, all the best,

Robert Middleton

ACTION PLAN MARKETING
Cracking the Marketing Code for Independent Professionals

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www.actionplan.com

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

Contact by email

© 2005 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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