You've
heard that adage before, haven't you? It's akin to walking over to
someone, standing beside them, making them feel very comfortable with
you, and then gently, subtly, asking them to walk with you.
They'll
go along with you quietly and in agreement almost every time.
Contrast
that with standing far away from someone and shouting to them that
they need to come stand where you're standing or else... Or else
they're stupid, or else they're missing out, or else they're making a
mistake, etc.
This
is the point where most prospects dig their heels in and say, “Oh
yeah? I don't think so!”
Can
you blame them?
This
is why you want to start where they are. What do they already think
or know about your niche, about your product or service, or about
you?
If
prospects routinely believe your offer is too good to be true, lead
with that. “I know what you're thinking... this is simply too good
to be true. I thought the exact same thing myself, but then I
discovered that...”
They
might think this isn't the right solution to their particular
problem. “You might feel that in your case, our product won't make
the difference you need and want. I felt the exact same way when I
had this problem, but what I found was this product not only ____ and
____, it also ___...”
You
might start with the problem itself. Your prospect is in financial
difficulty, so talk about what that feels like, how it affects them,
how it makes life difficult, etc.
And
here's an entirely different way to start where they are in their
minds, and that's to begin with whatever it is that everyone is
talking about right now.
For
example, let's say you're sending out an email and the big story
today is the revolution in another country, or new photos from space,
or some crazy thing the government is doing. Whatever it is, the
story is plastered all over the news. You can lead with that and
gracefully tie it in with your marketing message.
Celebrities
are fantastic for this. People love celebrities: Movie stars, rock
stars, sports stars, etc. Start out talking about the latest
celebrity news and tie it into what you want to say.
For
some inexplicable reason, celebrity is frequently confused with
credibility. Thus when you tie a celebrity in with your product, even
when it's perfectly clear that they are not actually related in any
way, it elevates the status of your product in the customers' eyes.
Strange but true.
Using
the news or celebrities necessitates creativity on your part. Make
sure it's in good taste, and that it makes sense. Also, when
possible, make it entertaining. In fact, always strive to be
interesting and entertaining – your customers will love you for it.
One
last thing – if you don't know what's going on in your prospect's
minds, it's time to find out. Hit up social media to find out what's
being talked about, or go to the forums to see what problems people
are having. You'll discover enough in 15 minutes of research to craft
a half dozen marketing messages that all begin with you entering the
conversation in your prospect's head.
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