Different Folks Need Different Strokes

You simply can not talk same way to Xers and Senior Citizens. It won't work because value structures differ between these groups. And so do their attitudes. More important, they respond differently to a given stimulus.

For most part, buy decisions are made emotionally, then justified later with "reason." On a website emotional response that triggers buy decision comes from what is said in sales presentation.

This means you must know precisely who you are talking to. It means understanding their values, attitudes, and goals. And it means understanding what motivates them to buy.

Voice Matters

Grab a Western novel, a thriller, a mystery, and maybe a tale of romance. Read a bit in each. Writers speak about voice, and struggle to get it right in all of their work.

Voice is a casual term that includes style, imagery, and emotional triggers effective with reader. It also includes selection of vocabulary, and such simple things as sentence length. In short, anything that helps project a specific tone or feeling is part of voice that produced it.

As suggested above, voice appropriate for Xers is inappropriate for Seniors. And conversely.

Off-Target Input Can Mislead

Input from off-target visitors may distract you. It's possible given sufficient input of this sort, you may be persuaded to introduce a new product to take advantage of apparent interest. In doing so, however, you have broadened your focus, rather than narrowing it. This is always wrong thing to do.

What's more, off-target product will strike targeted visitors as being off key in some way, if not in fact negatively. In end, you are likely to drive away more targeted traffic, than you are able to generate with off-target product.

An Aside: If you stumble across something that seems of interest to a significant off-target group, rather than weakening an existing site, consider building another which can be totally targeted to this newly defined group.

A Target Within A Target

Suppose you have decided to target Seniors. And you know enough of their convictions and motivations to be effective in talking with them. That is, you can relate to them in an appropriate voice. An additional step can be helpful.

Define a subset of this group and thus narrow your target even further. Then adjust your manner of speaking accordingly. While you don't mind if others listen in, you write to and for only those within your target. You use a voice specific to this narrowly targeted subset.

For example, among seniors there are those who graduated from college. Others have educated themselves. Many have been locked into business world as owners, managers, or employees. And still others, never held a high paying job. Further, to many women, family is all that ever mattered.

If you can define a subset of Seniors, proper voice may be quite different from what is needed for a different set. Adjust accordingly.

Xers Versus Seniors

The more profitable market may be Seniors. However, if you are an Xer, it may be best to ignore this group and target a subset of Xers. Why? Because you hold their values and attitudes. It will be much easier for you to find right voice with which to relate to your target. Seniors, on other hand, are likely to ignore you, unless you can adapt their values and attitudes, and thus a voice appropriate to them.

Direct your newsletter, site content, and sales presentations as specifically as possible to your target. Continually seek to narrow this target even further. That some off-target visitors may buy, is a bonus. But it in no way suggests broadening your target to include them. Or changing voice.

Okay, you say, now I have a handle on who I am. I have an image. What do I do with it? How is it going to help me sell products?

Well, announce it to world. * Tell * people who you are.

Work up an online resume or an "About Us" page for your site. Include key points from your self-searching. Make yourself into a real, live human being with whom your customers can do business and enjoy visiting again and again.

Publish your name, address, phone number, and email address. You needn't worry about being swamped by phone calls and letters. In five years online I've had one customer ever call me, and it was not to complain. I've had one letter, and it was for more information. Emailing is so much easier and it saves long distance rates and postage. (I don't have a toll free number yet, so it's their nickel to call me.)

Provide a self-photo. Without undue cost, "put your best foot forward" by having it taken professionally. It should be "real you", not some computer enhanced alter ego that portrays you better than you actually are. Don't be afraid to update photo regularly to show you developing in your career.

Finally, let's talk a little about being professional. I'm not referring to how you phrase your sentences or how fancy your vocabulary is. Instead, I'm recommending you try to be realistic - confident without hype and humble without putting yourself down. In short, be yourself.

In your comments and publications avoid sarcasm. Some people may catch humor while others may be offended by it. Don't issue ultimatums like, "If you're not willing to [so and so], then you don't belong in this business." These folks are your prospects or have signed up under you. They are expecting your help and example, and you wouldn't want to push them away from making a decision to buy.

When all is said and done, what you say and do online brands you to those with whom you come in contact. It would be far better to take time to brand yourself in a positive light than to leave your image to chance by neglecting your online presence.