This week’s Guest Blogger is from Smart Leader Networks Mentorship Program Marketing Lead Kristin Austin.  Kristin is an marketing entrepreneur working for herself living in Australia. Her detailed profile can be seen on our Volunteer Organization page under the Mentorship Program.

Thank you Kristin for this week’s blog and sharing your experience with our community.

Y’vonne Ormond

Director, Smart Mentoring

 

Transform your business in five words 

Want to transform your business? Read on. I’m about to show you five critical, oft overlooked words that really can transform your business – but only if you really commit to them. So, what are they?

What’s…In…It…For…Me?  or WIIFM. These five words are your key to more and better business. Believe it or not these are the most important five words for your customers, no matter what it is you’re selling.

First though, think back to when someone has attempted to sell you something and you sat there thinking “they just don’t get what I need.”  Even if you were initially interested, all that talk about themselves, their product or service and how great it or they were, was just, well, dull. Once you were bored all you wanted to do was excuse yourself and get out of there. It might have been different if they’d been a little more interested in your needs, but they weren’t. They lost you and you’re unlikely to give them a second chance. Compare that with the last thing you bought, lock stock and barrel.

What was the difference? You were.

So many organisations put themselves first – it’s all about them, not their customer. How many presentations or brochures have you seen that are all about ‘them’. ‘They’ are boring – you want to hear about you. You want them to talk to you, about you and your needs. Sure it’s important their information tell you something about ‘it or them’, it has to be couched around your needs.

Well, I hate to be blunt, but what if that’s what the last 2, 3 or 10 prospects thought when you spoke to them? They smiled politely, promised to get back to you, but you still haven’t heard from them. Maybe you sent our your new brochure, launched your new website, put on an expo, full of great products and ideas, but the phone’s just not ringing and people aren’t taking your calls.

Perhaps there was more in your brochure for you rather than them. I know, your product or service works a treat, but what does it do… FOR THEM? Actually, before you’re too hard on yourself, it can be quite hard to be objective about your product or service enough to take yourself out of it. But, if you’re to succeed in your quest for more or better business, you must.

Let’s look at the seven steps for getting to WIIFM

1. Take a hard look at your materials (presentations, brochures, website) – through the eyes of your customer. Who does it really talk about them or you? How many times do you use the word you and your  vs the number of times you use we, our, my, etc.
2. Have someone not connected with your business (or industry) tell you what your product or service delivers and why that’s important – (this is where external consultants can really help)
3. For every claim you make about your product/service (fast, cost-efficient, one of a kind) ask yourself “So what? Why is that important to my customer?” You should come up with reasons like (and these aren’t necessarily the right answers for you)
   • fast – gives your customers more time with to spend with their family or on their boat,
   • cost-efficient – because they’ll have more to money spend doing the things they love; or
   • one of a kind – they’re the envy of their friends.
4. Use emotions!! Paint pictures using those emotions. Don’t kid yourself that B2B buyers don’t buy on emotion. They do – it’s just a different kind of emotion. They want to succeed, have a bigger staff, be the one who saved the company all that money, get that promotion, or just have less stress or more time with their family, boat, doing the things they love, rather than pfaffing around over a piece of equipment, technology, staff member who’s not performing as promised.
5. Once you know what you really deliver your customers – try it on a couple of your best customers. Ask their thoughts and really listen – people love giving their opinion and they’ll love you even more for asking.
6. Once you’re clear on your message, use the same words and emotions in your brochures, sales calls, website, etc. Tailor it slightly for each customer – not everyone will have a boat (or a family). Find out what’s important to them and refer back to it from time to time.
7. When you write or produce something or plan a presentation, make sure your customer is at the heart of it – every time.

Think about why your customer is talking to you, reading your materials or visiting your site. What are they hoping is in it for them? All you have to do to transform your business is to make them feel they’re the most important thing in your world and then deliver your stuff.

If you liked Kristin’s article and would like to talk to her further, she can be reached at kristinlaustin@gmail.com.

Tags: business, leadership