Finding Your Client's Business Problem Leads to Better Copy

Written by Neroli Lacey


WHAT’S THEIR PROBLEM? How do you begin a dialogue with a prospect, be it in person, on your website or in print?

You talk about your client’s business problem.

What IS your client’s business problem?

Answering this question isrepparttar hardest part of marketing. What we all do instead, is focus on our solution, i.e. “what we do.”

“We sell network management software.” “We are a business-oriented law firm.” “We trade commodities.”

Worse still, we continue talking about ourselves: how many employees we have, how many years we have been in business, where our head office is.

Let’s think again. Are you worried aboutrepparttar 108102 vulnerability of your IT systems today? Do you dread losing your information assets? Aha, our network management software has worked wonders for clients just like you.

Are you thinking of expanding your business? Do you know how to find an experienced team that knows your industry backwards and can deliver. Are you looking for a team that has done this kind of transaction for many years. A team withrepparttar 108103 best experience and knowledge of your industry inrepparttar 108104 country? We don’t just deliver wordy legal contracts, we deliver cost-effective business solutions.

Do your clients want specialty products delivered in exactlyrepparttar 108105 way your clients want to receive them, sometimes in custom format? We don’t just trade commodities, we deliver service and quality every time, in justrepparttar 108106 way you want it.

Every good piece of marketing collateral starts by setting out repparttar 108107 business problem. Because reading this, your client will say, “finally, someone who understands what I am struggling with.” This is your “hook.” The hook requires empathy. Later you will apply logic. i.e. why your service isrepparttar 108108 ideal fit for his problem.

Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Written by Neroli Lacey


Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy our service, product or idea. Here is how to create powerful marketing copy to make your job easier: INTERVIEW YOURSELF.

If you hired a writer to createrepparttar copy for you, he/she would likely start by interviewing you. He would ask every question he could think of about your subject and keep probing until he found illuminating answers. You could find a colleague to help in this endeavor. Or, if you are feisty, you can interview yourself.

Write out a series of questions about your subject. (I’ll suggest what kinds of questions below). Then ask your colleague to pose these questions to you and record your answers. Or you can write your own answers down.

The key to interviewing is to keep probing. If an answer doesn’t make sense,say so. “I understand that your clients need to create strategy atrepparttar 108101 corporate level, but I don’t understand how your software is going to help them do this.” If you don’t believe an answer, say so too. Keep asking for further and better particulars until you get answers that interest you and which you believe in.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF Here are some high-level questions to ask yourself.

What isrepparttar 108102 business problem? Can you describerepparttar 108103 problem in plain English? How didrepparttar 108104 problem arise? Is it a new problem? Why is it hard to solve? Why hasn’t anyone found a solution to it yet? Does your client know he has this problem? Is he willing to payrepparttar 108105 price in time or money to solve his problem? What is his key concern?

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