Add You - Why Marketing Fails: Situational Marketing 101

There is a nuclear-strength “secret” weapon that 90% of self-employed professionals are missing out on as they try to build their businesses. It’s amazingly simple, amazingly powerful – and – amazingly overlooked!

It’s called “Situational Marketing,” and it can revolutionize your business.

As professionals in service industries, we live, eat, and breathe ideas. We live flying in the stratosphere, soaring with angels, shooting with stars. We think in terms of big ideas and processes. When we talk about what we do, we love to describe how things work in our field and theoretical explanations of how to fix problems.

The trouble is that the vast majority of our potential clients don’t live in the world of ideas. They live on the ground. They think about getting their kids to school. They worry about being laid off from work. They struggle with getting their own businesses to work better.

People have very short attention spans. Most people are aware of a very small number of acute, practical problems that are driving them crazy. They want solutions, they want them to be quick, and they want them now. They don’t have the bandwidth for a lot of exposition.

Self-employed professionals like coaches who try to sell “realizing your potential,” “getting where you want to go,” or “creating the life you want to live” really have a problem. Most people might think those are nice ideas, but they have to think so hard to figure out what that means for them that they’d rather go home and balance their checkbook. Even if they might be intrigued, they are thinking something like, “It would be nice to work on that right after I deal with my employee turnover problem.”

Other professionals who try to sell “accurate accounting services” or “high-quality graphic design” face a different but related problem. Those are commodities in the minds of their potential clients. Such language goes in one ear (or eye) and out the other. Ten minutes after finding out about you they have forgotten all about it.

It’s a well-known fact that people buy what they want rather than what they need. Your marketing needs to be about the client: the client’s situation, the client’s feelings, the client’s problem, and  - finally – the solution you will provide for the client.

I was talking with a struggling self-employed woman the other day.  She asked me what kind of coaching I do. I said, “I work with business owners who are tired of having their marketing efforts fall flat.” She said, “Oh my God, that’s me!” I asked her, “Do people’s eyes glaze over when you tell them what you do?” She said, “Yes! They do! I need you!”

She was excited when she heard my marketing statement! She instantly heard herself in the description. It indicated to her that I know her situation and probably have the perfect solution. This is what situational marketing does for you.

Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:

·         Clear and specific – the listener hears themselves exactly in the message

·         Emotional – it elicits a response in the gut or the heart

Information on Shipping Containers
Shipping containers are basically used for temporary storage of goods while it is being transported from one place to another. These containers are made out of different materials and are designed differently to fit different usages. These come in different sizes and weights as well.Dimensions: The different lengths of shipping containers are – 10 feet, 20 feet, 30 feet, and 40 feet. The width is 8 feet. Heights are either 8.5 feet or 9.5 feet.It is important that one understands the terms when talking about shipping containers. There are three words you must understand. First, there is the shipping container’s rating. Rating is the maximum weight permissible for the shipping containers plus its contents. Then we have the tare mass or tare weight. This is the weight of the empty container under normal operating conditions. Then the payload – that refers to the total weight that a shipping container can carry. In the actual scenario though, the payload maybe less as there are some areas that have laws governing the maximum load a vehicle could carry.These shipping containers have stickers that show its rating, tare weight and payload. Also a sticker showing thow to fix problems.

The trouble is that the vast majority of our potential clients don’t live in the world of ideas. They live on the ground. They think about getting their kids to school. They worry about being laid off from work. They struggle with getting their own businesses to work better.

People have very short attention spans. Most people are aware of a very small number of acute, practical problems that are driving them crazy. They want solutions, they want them to be quick, and they want them now. They don’t have the bandwidth for a lot of exposition.

Self-employed professionals like coaches who try to sell “realizing your potential,” “getting where you want to go,” or “creating the life you want to live” really have a problem. Most people might think those are nice ideas, but they have to think so hard to figure out what that means for them that they’d rather go home and balance their checkbook. Even if they might be intrigued, they are thinking something like, “It would be nice to work on that right after I deal with my employee turnover problem.”

Other professionals who try to sell “accurate accounting services” or “high-quality graphic design” face a different but related problem. Those are commodities in the minds of their potential clients. Such language goes in one ear (or eye) and out the other. Ten minutes after finding out about you they have forgotten all about it.

It’s a well-known fact that people buy what they want rather than what they need. Your marketing needs to be about the client: the client’s situation, the client’s feelings, the client’s problem, and  - finally – the solution you will provide for the client.

I was talking with a struggling self-employed woman the other day.  She asked me what kind of coaching I do. I said, “I work with business owners who are tired of having their marketing efforts fall flat.” She said, “Oh my God, that’s me!” I asked her, “Do people’s eyes glaze over when you tell them what you do?” She said, “Yes! They do! I need you!”

She was excited when she heard my marketing statement! She instantly heard herself in the description. It indicated to her that I know her situation and probably have the perfect solution. This is what situational marketing does for you.

Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:

·         Clear and specific – the listener hears themselves exactly in the message

·         Emotional – it elicits a response in the gut or the heart

Professionalism
Always be professional, do not fall into the old friends trap, you will lose more than you will ever be able to gain back. I have had a few occasions where I was doing business as a consultant and I was asked if I could attend a social event to celebrate the success of the project. I was pleased that the company had asked me and I graciously accepted. The event was on a Saturday afternoon so I dressed appropriately for a BBQ.When I got to the event, everyone else was dressed the same way except the host who was basically in his workout clothes. He was treating everyone like old friends, which is not a bad thing. The problem turned out to be the language he chose to use at the event. If I had joined in as the others, I would have lost a great deal of respect. I decided that I would stay to be sociable but would take the first opportunity to leave. As much as I wanted to be part of the group, I did not feel I would gain anything by lowering my professionalism. I am sure most of you have been in similar situations. It is very difficult not to join in but if it is a customer, you should not let yourself be part of it. I also had another occasion to visit an allihere you want to go,” or “creating the life you want to live” really have a problem. Most people might think those are nice ideas, but they have to think so hard to figure out what that means for them that they’d rather go home and balance their checkbook. Even if they might be intrigued, they are thinking something like, “It would be nice to work on that right after I deal with my employee turnover problem.”

Other professionals who try to sell “accurate accounting services” or “high-quality graphic design” face a different but related problem. Those are commodities in the minds of their potential clients. Such language goes in one ear (or eye) and out the other. Ten minutes after finding out about you they have forgotten all about it.

It’s a well-known fact that people buy what they want rather than what they need. Your marketing needs to be about the client: the client’s situation, the client’s feelings, the client’s problem, and  - finally – the solution you will provide for the client.

I was talking with a struggling self-employed woman the other day.  She asked me what kind of coaching I do. I said, “I work with business owners who are tired of having their marketing efforts fall flat.” She said, “Oh my God, that’s me!” I asked her, “Do people’s eyes glaze over when you tell them what you do?” She said, “Yes! They do! I need you!”

She was excited when she heard my marketing statement! She instantly heard herself in the description. It indicated to her that I know her situation and probably have the perfect solution. This is what situational marketing does for you.

Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:

·         Clear and specific – the listener hears themselves exactly in the message

·         Emotional – it elicits a response in the gut or the heart

Growing Your Business One Customer At A Time
The People aspect of business is really what it is all about. Rule #1: Think of customers as individuals. Once we think that way, we realize our business is our customer, not our product or services. Putting all the focus on the merchandise in our store, or the services our corporation offers, leaves out the most important component: each individual customer.Keeping those individual customers in mind, here are some easy, down-home steps-to-remember when you want to keep ’em coming back!1. Remember there is no way that the quality of customer service can exceed the quality of the people who provide it. Think you can get by paying the lowest wage, giving the fewest of benefits, doing the least training for your employees? It will show. Companies don’t help customers….people do.2. Realize that your people will treat your customer the way they are treated. Employees take their cue from management. Do you greet your employees enthusiastically each day; are you polite in your dealings with them; do you try to accommodate their requests; do you listen to them when they speak? Consistent rude service is a reflection not as much on the employee as on management. be about the client: the client’s situation, the client’s feelings, the client’s problem, and  - finally – the solution you will provide for the client.

I was talking with a struggling self-employed woman the other day.  She asked me what kind of coaching I do. I said, “I work with business owners who are tired of having their marketing efforts fall flat.” She said, “Oh my God, that’s me!” I asked her, “Do people’s eyes glaze over when you tell them what you do?” She said, “Yes! They do! I need you!”

She was excited when she heard my marketing statement! She instantly heard herself in the description. It indicated to her that I know her situation and probably have the perfect solution. This is what situational marketing does for you.

Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:

·         Clear and specific – the listener hears themselves exactly in the message

·         Emotional – it elicits a response in the gut or the heart

Making A Profit In Business
There is one thing that all business owners, managers, and shareholders have in common, no matter where in the world we are from, we all want to make money! The methodology and the understanding of how to make money varies widely however, as a consequence my experience is that less than 20% of businesses really make an acceptable profit, which is bankable!Business is no different to a professional sporting venture in that it requires; Working as a team. Having flexible game plans. (strategies) The ability to conduct detailed analysis. Sound administration. Choosing good support.(suppliers, employees and professional advisors) Respecting and knowing your opposition. Introducing plenty of training. Playing to win. The very foundation of good performance in any company comes down to structuring your financials properly. From this solid foundation, you can then build a far more profitable business. Core business salesSales do not reflect the profitability of the company, but rathelution. This is what situational marketing does for you.

Good situational marketing has several important qualities. It is:

·         Clear and specific – the listener hears themselves exactly in the message

·         Emotional – it elicits a response in the gut or the heart

·         Communicated in the words your clients actually use themselves

·         Easy to remember

·         Unusual in a way that really makes it stand out.

Start with a careful examination of your unique talents and strengths. Then examine the situations your ideal clients face and listen to the words they use to describe them. Ask yourself what they say to themselves as they’re driving to the office or brushing their teeth at night. When you find a match between the work you are passionate about doing and a problem your clients are aware that they have, you have struck gold. You know what to say, and you know what products and services you need to develop in order to help them. You know you can help them because their problem is really rooted in an area of personal growth in which you are an expert. And your ideal clients actually become excited to talk to you!

Here are some more examples of situational marketing:

·         People who secretly wish they’d get laid off so they can go do what they REALLY want to do

·         Single working moms sharing custody with a jerk

·         Contractors who are tired of worrying where their next job is coming from

·         Business owners who wish their employees would stop bickering and do their jobs

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