Hello Blog Readers and all ships at sea!!
I know it’s been a few weeks since I posted. I’ve been dealing with a nasty cold, and it made me a bit congested. So I looked at the calendar and realized that Thanksgiving is upon us. Today’s post is about the sniff test.
You know what I mean – opening up your fridge and finding mystery leftovers. You wonder “should I jump in, just put it back, or maybe find something better” and how does this relate to marketing, writing and business in general? Customers and business owners make the decisions the same way. They use the sniff test everyday when deciding to hire a person to help them grow their business. Most people call it intuition, but it’s really the sniff test.
Now how does this relate to business…People who truly need your product or service are your target audience. These are the people that have their hand on their wallet. The people who want to hire you today. The one’s who will call or order your product. Real revenue – not projected future sales. You have to pass their sniff test.
A consultant can’t stand on the street corner with a megaphone and sell their services. No one would take them seriously – people would wonder what you’re trying to pull. This one of the reasons that institutional advertising rarely works. Institutional advertising doesn’t pass the sniff test. Customers rarely believe anything that they read in the paper. They know that’s you’re trying to buy creditability.
Now if you gave an interview (or had some PR piece written) to the local paper – that would pass the sniff test.
Next, consultants need a “Big Dog” that’s willing to put their reputation on the line for them. Skittish customer’s need the warmth of the herd. That is why most work comes from happy customers referrals. Networking is the key to developing a solid success network. This is the same for any business, from the one man operation to a multi-billion dollar organization.
Over the past few weeks I’ve worked on some interesting projects. Several of these projects were focused on improving on a proven technology. The only problem with the projects is the funding. The projects are not “bank ready.” Think of bank ready ideas as something a banker looks at and is willing to put money on the line. So if you’re next big idea won’t pass the banker sniff test – time to go back to the drawing board.
This is also important in writing copy and direct marketing pieces. You can fool the public once to click on a “free information link” but they aren’t going to move to the next level without the sniff test. Put out a solid offer, get them salivating for information (only you have the insider secrets) to pass the sniff test. This is a plug for my business services. Content research gives your writing the information you need to pass the “sniff test.”
You can put a fact, figure, quote or link that seals the deal with your prospects. Studies show that a writer spends 5-10 hours on research before they write their first sentence. Imagine saving 5-10 hours of research time hiring a content research specialist. The best part – you can include that into your price for services. Win-Win for you and your customer.
I know this is short and sweet. Pass the customer’s sniff test and watch your profits soar.
Until we speak again – Market well.
Christine
About the author: Christine Vilmur Cavaliero is the owner of First Degree LLC . With 20 years of consulting experience she writes about marketing consulting services – LadyInRedMarketing and BestSEOintown. Her company specializes in results oriented marketing services for small business owners.
Click on the envelope to email Christine
