You’ve spent hours crafting the message. You may have even employed a copywriter and a producer, maybe a director, possibly even actors. Everyone is going to LOVE your message. Your message is going to tell everyone about you!
They’ll have a virtual (or maybe a real) full-page advertisement of information about your business to use. They can’t resist your appeal.
Surely, whatever you’re offering, will be irresistible to them!
You’ve gotten in all the stuff you’re great at, you’ve squeezed in every kernel of information about you into the silo that is your commercial or presentation or webpage.
You’ve answered every question about you that they could possibly want to know. There’s even a tab on your website that specifically reads “ABOUT US” (Is this really what you want? Keep reading.)
You’ve labored for hours, maybe days or weeks preparing this message about yourself to pitch YOU to them.
Uh, oh! There’s a problem. Even though your message is on point, it’s crystal clear to anyone that receives it that you’re the only real choice.
The only problem is that …NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU!
Now, that’s not to say that you’re not important and your service or product isn’t going to solve a problem for someone else. It’s simply, that in the grand scheme of things, NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU!
They ONLY care what you can do for them.
The saying goes, “Enough about you. Let’s talk about ME.”
Ever been on a date where the other person can’t stop talking about themselves?
How’d that leave you feeling?
Your job as a marketer is to romance your potential client. When you deliver your message, you’re the host. Like Momma used to say, “You’re job, as a host, is to make your guest feel good.” After all, they are taking the time to be interrupted by your message. They’re giving you the one thing they cannot get returned… TIME!
Yes, I want to know about you. That’s why you have my attention. What I really want, if we’re going to continue this relationship, is to understand how you relate to ME.
You must put the ME in the Message!
Your message to them must be about them. It must help them see themselves using your product or service. It must RELATE to ME.
How many Radio, TV, or Web commercials have you experienced that the user why you’re the “bee’s knees”? The ad lists the telephone number and has everything important about you. But, they don’t care that you’ve been in business since 1987. They only really care that you can solve their problem better than anyone else.
Look at the national advertisers. They’ve got a jump on you. They’re branding themselves. They’re filling in the holes for ME. You’re playing catch up and you look desperate when you’re running around saying, “Look at me! Look at me! I’m great! I’m awesome!”
Doing so makes you seem like the drunken guy at the party. You’re great to laugh at. Heck! I might even remember you fondly. But, you don’t relate to ME. I won’t trust you to drive me home. You’re at the 4th level of drunkenness, where you think you’re invisible or something.
Take McDonald’s, for example, They’ve been around since the 1950s. Yet, no one cares about that! It’s not in the McMarketing. McD’s is used to get a quick, cheap, consistent meal. It doesn’t’ matter how long Tide has been a detergent has been in existence. Only that it can effectively clean clothes for ME. They don’t care if you’re the Dry Cleaner that’s been in the same location for 10 years.
You’ve got to IMAGINE the ME in the message. What’s In It For ME? What are you doing for ME? Explain this to ME so I can understand it and see ME receiving the benefit.
Politicians (the good ones, anyway) understand this better than most. They tell us about us. They’ll tell us why we’re great and why what we believe is what they believe. How when they’re in office it’ll benefit ME. Or they focus on what’s wrong with the other guy. That’s to say how he or she will NOT benefit ME. They show me how my choice will affect ME, directly.
Sure, you’ve got a tab on your webpage that reads “About Us” It’s not really about you, is it?
Next time you sit down to write a script or copy or anything else put the ME in the message.
Don’t tell me you’re the best Dry Cleaner. Tell me you’ll get that stain out of my wife’s blouse, quickly. Tell me how that silk blouse will look just like new. Tell me how my wife will be so happy about it. Tell me how I’ll save 10% on my first cleaning and 10% on every subsequent cleaning job I have done. Tell me how, as a repeat customer, I am treated extra specially, because I trust you to do a good job for ME.
Can you see all that?
Can you see what happens when I, as your client, see what happens? (In a future blog post I’ll explain why you should rid yourself of all your customers and replace them with clients)
STOP talking about yourself!
Remember, to put ME in the MEssage
