The one-eyed writer

And no ... they’re not necessarily a supporter of the Collingwood football club!

One of the challenges any writer faces is: What to put in and what to leave out. For a business owner it’s often the ‘what to leave out’ that creates the most angst. The usual answer is, “Nothing. I can’t leave anything out. Everything MUST go in.”

That may work for a longer piece, like a website where you can divide your thoughts into logical pages. For a flier or a brochure, there simply isn’t enough room for everything. Why? Because too many messages clutter not only the page; they dilute every single one of those messages. Most people, your customers included, have too much to remember already. If you overload them with more and more messages, chances are they’ll forget many of them.

The answer is to decide your single piece of information that is most important in your target market’s decision-making process and to present it in the most memorable way for your target market.

Notice here that your decisions relate back to your target market. It’s not the one thing you think is great about your product or service. It’s the one thing that your target market needs to know to influence their decision. Yes, I know there are many factors in their decision-making process. What’s the most influential?

For example: You may be a baker selling bread, rolls and cakes. You think, gee every baker sells bread, rolls and cakes. That’s true. Yet not every baker sells those products to your customers. You do. What is it that makes them want to buy from you? Are you local for them? Are you friendly? Are you efficient for them during the lunchtime rush? Do you make specialist items on request like gluten-free cakes or vegan bread?

Let’s say that you’ve just opened, have asked a few customers why they buy from you and they’ve said, “We live nearby.” Okay, so you’re local. That becomes the single focus of your marketing message.
That doesn’t mean you say, “Buy from us, we’re local. Buy from us, we’re just around the corner. Buy from us, we’re a five minute walk away.” It does mean that you look at what being ‘local’ really means. What words and images do you think of when I say “local”?

Use those in your marketing. How? Write your original copy and then look at every image and sentence and ask the question: How does this reinforce my primary message?

For example, you might have a photograph of your products. Does that reinforce the concept of local? Consider including a photograph with children enjoying your products, or perhaps a family dog enjoying the special dog-healthy biscuits you bake. You could take that further and run a competition where locals submit photos for your consideration. Or photograph a sporting team you sponsor.

How can you show you participate in local groups without actually saying it? Ask if you can add their logos to your promotional material. Most will be happy to let you do so.

Consider the words you use. How can you powerfully reinforce your message?
‘Convenient opening hours’ or ‘Need bread? We’re open.’
‘We’re involved in the community’ or ‘Go the Zebras!’
‘Just around the corner’ or ‘A 5 minute walk from 2,000 Sandringham families.’

The thing many business owners fear is that paring your message back will eliminate potential customers. Yes. It will. Remember though not every potential customer is your ideal customer. Use your marketing messages to weed out the pretenders. Go for the cream.

In summary, make every sentence and image that you use reinforce your primary message. That not only cements the message in your target market’s mind; it creates congruency and authenticity and that gives you credibility. Be one-eyed with your marketing message and attract your ideal customers.

I received this as an email from a friend. Just a couple of things to consider being:

Thankful for...

For the wife who says it’s hot
dogs tonight...
Because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.

For the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato...
Because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes...
Because it means she’s at home, not on the streets.

For the taxes I pay...
Because it means I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party...
Because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug...
Because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work...
Because it means I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing...
Because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government...
Because it means we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot...
Because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill...
Because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church who sings off key...
Because it means I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing...
Because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day...
Because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours...
Because it means I am alive.

And finally, for too much email...
Because it means I have friends who are thinking of me.

Saying to Soar By

I had to overcome my fear of runnign through the world naked and learn to say, "Take me or leave me"

Steven Spielberg

Email: mandy@talkingturkey.com.au
Web: www.talkingturkey.com.au

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