Hook, Line & Thinker newsletter, published by Troutdream Graphics - Vol. 1, No. 6 - September, 2002

The right message at the right time

Imagine that your company’s products and services are displayed on a shelf in Costco. The packaging is new and shiny and there are brochures and information sheets for customers to peruse. There are plenty of customers in the aisles and they’re all in the shopping mood. You’re in a pretty sweet spot, because as big as Costco is, they only have one or two products in your category on the shelf.

Now imagine that the store is as big as a city and the shelf is 10 miles long. All your competitors’ products are right beside yours and they’ve all got shiny new packaging and brochures too. It’s not looking quite so sweet anymore.

The questions on the Web are: How can I attract shoppers’ attention when the next product is just a step away? How do I let them know that my company offers something different that they wouldn’t get elsewhere? How do I convince them to stop HERE?

Now suppose a shopper is coming down that aisle and he’s got a splitting headache. As he passes your display a small sign catches his eye: “Cures headaches… Fast.” Ah! Then he sees another sign on your display: “Free sample.” Aha! Do you think you have his attention now? Did it take flashing lights and dancing icons? No. It took the right message at the right time.

The key on the Web, as in all sales, is to know your customer’s pain and offer a cure. They may not even recognize the real cause themselves. They think they’re just shopping for, say, a computer, but at a deeper level, they may be shopping for a cure for office inefficiency that’s eating up profits. If you can tap into that underlying need, then you will know what will make them sigh with relief. And the better you are at diagnosing the root cause of that pain, the stronger your position.

For example, say you sell business consulting services. Your potential customers may not get up one day and think, “Man, I really need some business consulting.” Instead they have pain: Sales are down and they’re not sure why but it’s not just a headache – it’s a migraine.

If you can show your site visitors the underlying cause of their pain and offer hope of relief. If you can present your products and services, not as simple items for sale, but as solutions to deeper needs, you’re halfway there.

Now, that shopper has reached your website. It used to be one of many that said “Expert Business Consulting Services.” Now it says “Sales down and you’re not sure why? Click here to find the answer.”

And the “free samples” part? That’s content. Garnishes are not very satisfying when people are looking for meat. Use your site to offer a taste of the real thing. Whet their appetites with the richness of your expertise. Give them a reason to enter your site and find out more.

If you have a web-related question, drop me a line. If I don't know the answer, I'll find out.

You can find other articles and past issues of this newsletter at http://www.troutdream.com/stories.html

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