I had an awesome Criminal Justice professor in college. He never expected any of us to “memorize” but expected us to know where to find the information. All tests were open book and open note. He said in the real world it was not about what you could recall off the top of your head but what you could access when prompted for a response. I liked that professor and that class.
If you are a small business owner working to attract customers or a media sales professional assisting a small business owner it’s important to know that the human mind can only keep track of a few things at a time. Here is a great article to read (http://www.livescience.com/2493-mind-limit-4.html).
The problem we see with most advertising is the perceived desire by the business owner or the sales professional to get as much content as possible into each message. As consumers, we will not be able to follow. We will not be able to keep track of all that detail. Your message will fail to impact us!
Think simple. Think one concept at a time. It allows the consumer to get a clear picture of who you are and how you can help them. It allows the consumer to have easier “recall” when they have a need for your product or service.
I’ll give you an example. We were working with a carpet cleaning/water damage restoration business. At the end of each radio commercial he would say, “and we’re available 24/7”. I asked the obvious question….why?
His response became one of his most influential messages he still shares today. He said, “Jeff, you need to understand that in our part of the country the winters get awful cold. We also have a lot of homes with exposed pipes. If your pipe bursts at 11 o’clock at night, you can’t afford to wait until 8am to call someone and hope they can get to you later that day. You need to talk to someone at 11 o’clock at night. That’s why I have my cell phone with me on my night stand and with me all day long. That’s why we are available 24/7.”
Simple, to the point. One specific aspect of his business that he was rushing over and not helping the consumer understand “why”. Pick apart your story. The more specific the message, the more likely I will be able to remember and recall it!
We find that many businesses have trouble “uncovering” the specifics of their story. It’s what we are experts at. If you’d like to learn more how we can help you with your story, just email me at jeff@marketingfirepower.info, visit our website at www.marketingfirepower.info or give me a call at 402-817-4864.
