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>Offer What Others Don't Offer >Or you could offer it in a different way. > >NOTE- It’s nice to have this chance to share >information with you, what’s not so nice is the >subjects aren’t short enough to fit completely into >short posts. So, I can’t get all of the details into >these messages. Please realize, there are more things >to consider than what I write in each post. > >Now for the message: > >So, what? Who cares? What difference does that make? >Why are you bothering me? > >Those are some of the kinder things you’d hear if >you’d try to talk to people who just want to get on >with their lives. > >Would you be surprised? Probably not. You’ve probably >said or wanted to say things like these plenty of >times. > >If you send out messages about your business, then >either 1) you’re interrupting people who just want to >get on with their lives or 2) worse, they’re not even >noticing. >That’s worse for you because you’re getting as much >profit as you should be getting. It’s worse for those >who don’t notice your messages because they’re not >getting the benefits you could be providing. But even >this is assuming at least 2 things: 1- Your messages >are being distributed to people who would buy what you >offer because they can afford it & they need/want it. >2- You offer enough value to earn their attention. > >Yes, you need to earn their attention. It’s no >accident, English-speaking people talk about paying >attention. Everything people pay attention to requires >some of their time. Their time is a piece of their >lives; lives that won’t ever come back. > >I don’t like assuming, but assuming you offer real >value, are you the only one who offers that value? If >not, we’re back to - So, what? Who cares? What >difference does that make? Why are you bothering me? >Plus, I’m happy with my current supplier. > >What are you doing differently than everybody else who >seems to offer the same thing? >Are you the only one conveniently located near your >prospects? >Are your prices significantly lower? The meaning of >“significantly lower” depends on the price range of >your business category. We don’t have enough space to >get into that now. >Is what you offer focused narrowly enough to appeal to >enough people? (More on focused narrowly enough >below.) Since you’re reading this, you’re probably a >small business owner with a small budget. That being >true, you can’t afford to reach enough people >frequently enough with a substantial message. > >If you’re using mass media, you probably have to limit >your messages to a short time slot or small space. >Your messages are probably too short to have enough >significant content to compel people to take action. > >Or maybe you’re not established enough to ask people >to buy, maybe the only action they’re willing to take >is to accept a sample, a free report, a demonstration, >etc. >Beyond that, what kind of value can you add? How is >that value different from what other business offer? > >If you offer aspirin, you’d have a hard time >differentiating it from competitors’ aspirin, unless >yours would dissolve quickly in water like Alka >Seltzer. Then it’d be ready for digestive systems to >disperse to the rest of people’s anatomies. Plus it’s >easier for some to swallow than pills or capsules. > >If you offer pizza, what would you offer for added >value? People can buy frozen pizzas & store them in >freezers. When they want pizza, they can bake it in an >oven. Or they can go to a restaurant to eat pizza. > >Little Caesar’s offered 2 pizzas for the price of one, >but charged for delivery. Dominos delivered for free >(Of course, the delivery charge was in the price of >the pizzas, but you’d pay the same amount even if you >went to them to get the pizza.) The pizza was hot, it >was already cut. Customers don’t have to sweat in a >hot kitchen on an already hot day & struggle with a >knife or pizza cutter. They got more taste than frozen >pizzas offered. > >Dominos & Little Caesar’s offer fairly standard >pizzas, but add value to them. Maybe you could offer >salmon pizza or fruit pizza, or whatever. But then >you’d have the expense of convincing people they >should at least try it once. That can be very >expensive. > >When Dominos started, it offered delivered pizza. It >was focused narrowly enough for people to understand & >remember. To order food from Dominos, people didn’t >have to remember or keep a menu. When people called, >most of them called to order pizza, so taking orders >didn’t require much time. If people called for a >burger, they were out of luck. Dominos staff didn’t >ask, “Do you want a regular hamburger, cheese burger, >Quarter Pounder, Quarter Pounder with cheese, Big Mac, >or Mc DLT? Do you want it well-done or medium-rare? Do >you want mustard on that, what about ketchup? Onions & >a pickle too?” Do you want that for here or to go?” > >To find the value you can add, you could do a gap >analysis, but even if you had the money to perform a >sophisticated survey – 1) You’d need to know whom to >survey; 2) Ask the right questions in the right way to >get the right answers. But even that wouldn’t >guarantee people would realize there’s a gap. It >wouldn’t mean they could suggest what to use to fill >the gap. > >Volkswagen Beetle, “The Bug” (now there’s an >attractive nickname) was among the most popular, but >also a contender for the ugliest vehicle in history. >Millions of people bought Beetles. Some bought them >repeatedly. Can you realistically imagine millions >saying they wanted a small, totally ugly, 2-door >vehicle 4 people can barely fit into? >You may have heard of “a face only a mother could >love.” Volkswagen “repented.” It started making better >looking, bigger vehicles. Millions still wanted to own >ugly Bugs. > >What’s the morale of this story? Does it need a >morale? Would that leave a gap? Let’s ask … > >No, let’s not ask anybody in the traditional sense. In >this case, it may be cheaper & faster to just put this >“out there” & gauge the response. Some call it “ready, >fire, aim.” I prefer to aim in a direction determined >to produce a result based on what I know or find while >doing research. I’d fire, then I’d judge the results. > >I’m not against traditional marketing research, I’ve >been getting part of my income from it for years. But >unless the potential cost of a misfire is high, it’s >probably best to test marketing methods by actually >using them. Then at least, there’s a chance of getting >some sales while we’re doing “research.” > >Dennis S. Vogel >Get results before you pay. I’m that sure I can >develop the right marketing methods for you. >I still have free marketing advice & information here - >http://www.thrivingbusiness.homestead.com/ >http://www.voy.com/31049/

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