Marketing Tips and Trivia--Issue 15

When we think of marketing, we usually think of paid media, social media, public relations, sales promotion and all the other conventional ways to get a message about you and your product out there.  However, there's another way that's far more powerful and costs next to nothing.  That's the subject of this month's Marketing Tips and Trivia Newsletter.

You're unique...just like everyone else.

An important part of creating a compelling marketing message is finding that USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that differentiates your product from the competition.  While we all trumpet the evolution of Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and all the rest of the social media platforms; if you stand back and look at it objectively-for the most part it's all just a bunch of nice photos of smiling people and standard copy saying all the right things.  Just like everyone else.  And so it all melts into a fluid bland mosaic that fails to inspire, incite or motivate...and certainly doesn't create that compelling reason to buy your product rather than someone else's.

So...what can you do to establish your "uniqueness" and create that "reason to buy"?

Find an audience, stand up and speak.

While most people shudder at the thought of standing up before an audience, the fact is, it remains perhaps the most personal and powerful marketing medium available to anyone today.  And it costs next to nothing.  Whatever your product, whatever your area of expertise, there's an audience just waiting to hear about it from a knowledgeable expert...and believe it or not, that's you.

Maybe people don't realize that they are experts in their chosen field because they feel they really don't know more than any of their peers about their product or service.  That may be true, but that's not the point.  The point is, "What does the audience not know about your product or service?"  And secondarily, "How will that audience perceive you when you enlighten them about all the things they do not know about your product or service?"  They will perceive you as "the" expert.  And, if you're entertaining, friendly, funny and informative they'll believe you're the person they want to do business with if they ever need a product like yours.

Public speaking opportunities are everywhere.  Service clubs, association meetings, regular group gatherings; any place where people get together to pursue a common purpose or passion.  And when they do get together, they want to be engaged, informed, excited and motivated by an "expert" on the topic close to their hearts-whatever it might be.  And once you've honed your message into a palatable form for a mass audience, the extensions are almost limitless...cable television talk show guest, weekly magazine column, YouTube video, author, blogger and even a newsletter such as this.  Certainly it's a lot of time and effort, but the payoff is dramatic.  You and your personality become an integral part of your marketing message...and that creates the uniqueness that differentiates you from all the rest.

Are there pitfalls?  You bet.  Like anything else, it has to be done right with value for the audience to be effective.  It has to be interesting, relevant, controversial and offer new insights into conventional thinking.  Some of the most common mistakes public speakers and presenters make when promoting themselves or their product to an audience are:

1. A self-serving message that ignores the audience's purpose for gathering and doesn't relate to their interests.
2. A same old message that doesn't offer anything new or visionary to the audience.
3. Using industry acronyms and terminology the audience doesn't understand.  Sometimes this is done on purpose to give the perception that the speaker knows so much more than the audience about the subject.  In fact, it just causes the audience to lose interest and wish they were somewhere else.
4.  Not using imagery to "paint word pictures"...not using humour to make a point...taking yourself and the topic too seriously.  Your audience wants to be informed...but they also want to be entertained.
5.  Going on too long without making a salient point or failing to challenge your audience to join you in taking decisive action.

These are just a few of the common mistakes speakers make and we've all been in an audience that has watched them do it.  However, don't let this deter you from pursing public speaking and presentations as an integral part of your marketing program.  While some Type A, extroverted people do seem to have an affinity for public speaking; the fact is, public speaking...facing an audience with power and confidence is a learned art...and anyone can learn it.  (In fact, if you look to the left you might find a link to a website and a book called, Podium Power! that will help you become a "more powerful, inspirational public speaker.")

People do business with people they like.  Going to a service club meeting...or community association meeting...or car club or sailing club or horticultural club or senior's club or whatever and standing up before them to entertain them and give them new insights into your product or service gives them the opportunity to know you, trust you and like you in a way that no other marketing medium does.  It's your personality and uniqueness out there for everyone to see.  The cost is zero and the payoff is huge. 

Why not give it a try?

DBD