Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

Don’t Buy This Product!

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Can you imagine telling customers not to buy your product? But don’t stop there. Give them reasons why they should buy from someone else instead of you. 

That’s exactly what Sonlight Curriculum does on their web site. In fact, they list 27 reasons why customers would not want to buy their home schooling products.

Of course, the reasons not to buy are crafted to subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) point out the strengths of the products, and why their customers love them. For example, two of the reasons Sonlight says people should not buy from them are: (1) They want a program that provides the features of a classroom school, with regular quizzes, tests and grading services, and (2) They want their children to study what their peers study in a traditional school environment. (To view all 27 reasons, and the explanation for each, go to http://www.sonlight.com/not_to_buy.html.)

Clearly, some home schooling parents will want a program that has the features described in Sonlight’s 27 reasons not to buy, and they will go elsewhere. Those customers would not have been happy with their purchase from Sonlight, anyway. However, many others will be drawn to Sonlight specifically because of the reasons they say some people will not like them. These are the parents for whom they created their products.

Elsewhere on their web site, Sonlight offers 13 Reasons Why Families Love Sonlight, Key Reasons to Shop With Us and other information that supports why customers should buy from them. But by including the reasons why someone should not buy from them, they focus on the strengths and uniqueness of their programs in an unexpected way.

Your products and services should be positioned to meet the wants and needs of specific groups of people. By doing so, they will not appeal to others. Spelling out exactly who will want your products and why makes it clear to your best prospects why they should buy from you. That can also mean identifying who should not buy from you.

When done effectively, this type of marketing not only conveys the benefits of buying from your company, it makes customers feel as if they are part of an exclusive group. After all, these products are for just anyone. It takes a special customer to appreciate the qualities of what you offer.

Start by listing the features and benefits that make your products different from your competitors’ products. Don’t be afraid of listing things that may alienate some potential buyers. Next, frame those features and benefits in a way that will appeal to your perfect customers. These are the people you want to attract. Use language that shows they are special, phrases such as, “This isn’t for everyone,” or “This may not be for you.”

Although you may think it is best to make every possible sale, selling to customers who are not a good fit for your business can result is less satisfaction (both for them and you) and more time spent on customer service issues. Attract your perfect customers and everyone will be happier.

Promote Your Customers

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Do you want to attract new customers while building greater loyalty among your current customers? Include your customers in your marketing and promotions. By creating greater awareness of your customers (and their businesses) you may help to build their businesses and increase their demand for your products and services. Whether or not using customers in your marketing causes them to buy more from you, your willingness to showcase them will cause them to feel more attachment to you and will encourage them to remain customers for a long time to come. Here are a few ways you can make this work for you.

Ask your customers to share their success stories and get their permission to use them. How have they benefitted from their association with you? Have them share their stories on audio or video or in print and use them in your marketing. In their ads, Sterling Bank in Houston has their small business customers tell how they grew their businesses with the help of their Sterling bankers. It sends a great message about the bank, and increases awareness of the featured businesses.

Tell your customers’ stories in your newsletter. If you publish a print or online newsletter, include profiles of your customers and tell how you worked with them to help them succeed. Or, use the stories in your print ads. A photo of a happy customer accompanied by the story of what you did for them is very persuasive.

Audio and video recordings of customer stories can be incorporated into your television and radio advertising. Hearing customers in their own words is a powerful way to communicate the benefits of doing business with you, and your customers will appreciate the visibility they get when they are featured in your ads. You can also use streaming audio and video files at your web site.

Feature links to your customers’ web sites from yours. It doesn’t cost anything to add a few links, and customers will appreciate the extra visibility. It may also help improve the search engine rankings, not only for your customers’ web sites, but for yours as well.

Make connections between customers. Do you have customers who could benefit from knowing other customers? Perhaps you could make referrals to bring them together. Or, host a networking event where they can get to know each other.

Include customers in your publicity. The media like to have multiple sources for stories, perhaps to back up what you are saying or to provide another point of view. In one case, I was able to get a client included in a story and she was able to get one of her clients into the story, too! Your clients will not only appreciate that you got them publicity, they will be impressed with your media “pull.”

Promoting your customers as well as yourself is a great win-win for your business. Look for opportunities to create a greater bond between yourself and your customers by including them in your marketing and promotions.

As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker helps entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get free marketing tips at http://www.IdeaLady.com/

Get Sponsored

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Your business may be approached as a possible sponsor for community sports teams, television or radio broadcasts, trade shows, and other events, but have you ever thought of seeking sponsors for your small business?

Why would anyone want to sponsor you? Because you can offer them some form of visibility they see as beneficial, such as putting them in front of their potential customers. Your best prospects for sponsors will be businesses that provide a different product or service than you, but serve the same market.

Sponsorship can be obtained for many business activities. Here are some examples to get you started.

Sell advertising in your customer newsletter or online ezine, or on your Web site. You may choose to sell advertising directly to sponsors, or join a program that automatically feeds ads to your Web site, such as Google AdSense. You can learn more about AdSense at http//www.idealady.com/article/google-adsense

Speakers can obtain sponsorship for keynotes and workshops. What products or companies would like to be associated with you and your message, and get in front of your audience?

Consider obtaining sponsorship to publish a book. Although it is rare to see advertising in books, it is sometimes done. Or, your sponsors may be identified in other ways, such as in the acknowledgments or on the back cover.

Hold a contest and get sponsors to donate prizes in return for promotion during the contest. Contests often draw publicity and other interest, so sponsors will be seen by a lot of people.

You may be able to represent a business as a corporate spokesperson. The corporation would pay you a fee to represent them in personal appearances, advertising, media interviews and other public venues. These opportunities are usually available to people who are viewed as experts, such as authors or those with credentials in a specific field.

Host your own radio show and get sponsors to pay for it. You can buy blocks of broadcast time from radio stations, then sell advertising on your show. If you collect more advertising revenue than the station charges you for the air time, you make a profit. Even if you don’t, you get others to help pay for an activity that promotes you and enhances your credibility.

So how do you get sponsors? First, identify the businesses that would be most interested in reaching your audience. Then approach them with a proposal. Networking can help here Do you know anyone who knows anyone with connections to your prospective sponsors?

Explain what sponsors will receive when they work with you. Let them know how you can help them reach their target market, and make it cost-effective for them. Show the visibility and credibility your business has in the community, and how they will benefit from association with you.

Be on the lookout for new opportunities to collect sponsorship dollars. The Internet offers possibilities such as Internet radio shows and podcasts, and you may be able to attract sponsorship if your audience is large enough or targeted enough.

As the Idea Lady, Cathy Stucker helps entrepreneurs and professionals attract customers and make themselves famous. Get free marketing tips at http://www.IdeaLady.com/

It’s a New World Record

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Looking for a claim to fame? Need a unique story to interest the media? Just have way too much time on your hands? Any of those might be a good reason to set an official world record.

The Guinness World Records(TM) folks have been keeping track of all kinds of interesting feats, facts and phenomena since 1955. Their data base currently includes more than 40,000 categories of record makers, from fastest winkle picker to golf ball stacking.

To find out how you can qualify to set a world record, go to the Guinness web site: http://www.GuinnessWorldRecords.com/. Although the online data base is not complete, you can view listings for many of the records, and even see photographs and video of some of them.

There are categories such as longest lecture, most miles walked on a treadmill in 24 hours, largest CPR training session, most trees planted in a day, smallest kite flown, and many more. Some records get more competition than others. According to their web site, every month brings attempts to break the radio DJ marathon record. Kevin Cole of Carlsbad, New Mexico, holds the record for the longest spaghetti strand blown out of a nostril in a single blow. That one probably doesn’t have as much competition, but it may not be the record you wish to break.

Of course, there are lots of categories for the largest and smallest, and the youngest and oldest, etc. One of the existing categories may be a good fit for you. If not, come up with a brand new idea. The Web site includes guidelines for the types of categories they will and will not accept.

Could you set a record that would bring you media attention or bragging rights in your industry? One category is most haircuts given in one hour. (In case you are wondering, the current record is 23.) A hair stylist could try to break that record while raising money for charity by taking contributions from the victims, uh, customers she serves while setting the record.

Before attempting to set your record, make a proposal to Guinness. They may accept your proposal, reject it, or suggest that you attempt to break an existing record. If accepted, they will give you specific guidelines to follow as you make and document your attempt.

It can take four weeks or longer to get approval of your proposal, so be sure to allow plenty of lead time if you want to time your attempt to coincide with another event. There is no charge to submit a proposal, but if you need a quick response you may pay for Fast Track service to get an answer within days rather than weeks.

Use your record-setting attempt to drum up media coverage (they love events with visuals), and include your record in your bio and future press kits. Frame your Guinness certificate and display it prominently. Put photos or video of your record-setting activities on your Web site.

See you in the record books!