Related Links

Featured Links




Recommended Products



 

 
Featured Articles

Advantages and Advice About Online Degrees
Today, many people are engaging in some form of self-improvement activity. Bookstores, magazines,and newspapers are full of books and articles on how to be a better human being. If you want to be healthier, you diet. If you want to feel younger, you ...

"I Built a Better Mousetrap"-- Advice on Protecting Your Creation With a U.S. Patent
So, you built a better mousetrap. Now, how do your protect your "perfect" creation from being stolen by a Fortune 500 company? The answer lies in the United States Constitution which gives the U.S. Congress exclusive authority to grant patents for ...

The Empowered Parenting Ezine: Great Advice for Today's Parent!
EmpoweredParent.com EzineGoalsEmpowered Parenting Ezine is enjoying it's 4th year of continuous online publication. Our mission remains the same -- to provide Today's parent with information, advice and how-to articles by experts in many fields, so your ...


Google
Sound Marketing Advice: Be Careful Not To "We" All Over Yourself
 
Building a small business from initial concept to successful money making machine is a daunting challenge. One of the most difficult tasks an entrepreneur faces is finding and keeping loyal customers. Most of their time and money is spent on trying to convert the prospects who have the power to make or break the business.

Without these prospects becoming valuable customers, it's extremely difficult to keep the bills paid and the doors open. This relentless dilemma is compounded by the fact that most small business owners are sabotaging their own success by focusing their marketing in the wrong direction.

Rather than directing their marketing to the needs of the prospect, they are "We-ing" all over themselves.

In small business marketing, "We-ing" is best described as having too much of the marketing message focused on the features of the company and not enough on the prospect's needs. "We-ing" is an unattractive and egocentric attitude that most owners don't even realize they are suffering from.

Take a look at the typical marketing campaigns you see each day. A majority of the messages you see focus on "We" the company. For example, 'We have the lowest prices' or 'We have the best service in town.' Both of these phrases make you want to yell, 'Duh, I've never heard that before!' Besides lacking imagination, they are only fixed on the greatness of themselves and not the vital needs of the motivated prospect.

The number one rule to remember about marketing success is it's always about the prospect and not about you. As wonderful as you and your business may be the prospect could care less. They only want to know what you can do to solve their problem, improve their condition, or give them what they need.




During the selection process, the prospect's desire and energy are only centered on the need they are seeking to fulfill. When your marketing is only "We-ing" about how great you and your products are, you quickly lose their attention and the potential sale. They know what they are looking for and if you don't immediately communicate how you will fill their need, they will look elsewhere in a hurry.

To avoid "We-ing" and improve the examples used earlier, take out the "We", insert "you" and then spin it around. It should read, 'You will find the lowest prices' and 'You will experience the best service in town.' As you can see, a small difference in perspective and attitude can be remarkable.

In reality, the only time it is appropriate to have a "We" centered message is when you are expressing appreciation to the customer. The phrase, 'We thank you for your business,' is one of the most powerful you can ever use to create a loyal customer. (Note the focus is still on the customer, not the business).

The words and attitude that are used matter a great deal when you are carrying on a marketing conversation with the prospect. Always take a "You" focused approach and keep prospect's needs in the forefront. When you "We" all over yourself, you risk losing a potentially loyal customer and your business will soon start to stink.

About the author:

Ron Abbott is a marketing coach, entrepreneur, speaker and author of the www.small-business-marketing-hub.com where you will find more small business marketing articles, resources, ideas, and tools. This article is available for reprint in your opt-in ezine, web site or ebook. You MUST agree not to make any changes to the article and the resource box must be included.

News



Columbus Dispatch

Carolyn Hax: Before the advice, a brief introduction
Washington Post
Editor's note: Carolyn Hax has been doling out advice to readers for 15 years. To mark the anniversary of her “Tell Me About It” column, we're republishing the very first installment, which ran in The Washington Post's Style section on Monday, May 19, ...
Carolyn Hax: Here's one way to avoid being excluded: Dump himThe Seattle Times

all 17 news articles »

Globe and Mail

Some advice for Mitt Romney
msnbc.com (blog)
By Richard Wolffe AP It was one of the best smack-downs of his otherwise clunky campaign. Mitt Romney took Newt Gingrich's beloved fantasy about building a lunar colony and dumped it in the large pile of loony Newtisms. “I spent 25 years in business,” ...
Hannity's Advice To Romney: Don't Ignore Wright And Allow 'Obama Mania Media ...Mediaite
Gingrich: Bain Attacks Won't WorkDaily Beast

all 2,718 news articles »

Public Service

Parenting 'should not be taught by state' says critic of Cameron's nappy ...
Telegraph.co.uk
Mothers and fathers should not be led to believe that parenting is something the Government teaches them how to do, a critic of David Cameron's plans to launch new advice for families has said. At a time of huge debt and tight public spending the ...
Creating the super-nanny stateBBC News
What's your top piece of parenting advice?The Guardian
E-advice at core of Cameron's parenting lessonsUKauthorITy.com
FOX 4 News -Public Service -AFP
all 237 news articles »

Twitter offers personalized advice on whom to follow
Los Angeles Times
By Michelle Maltais Twitter wants to guide new hatchlings as they venture out of the virtual nest with its experimental tailored suggestions of whom to follow. This personalization comes on the heels of the company's confirming that users also have the ...

and more »

New Book Captures Medical Doctor's Best Advice
Seattle Post Intelligencer
David Brown is an experienced medical doctor, and has been offering his advice to patients for years. Now he brings his wisdom to even more people in his new book For the Health of a Woman & the Story of One Tree Hill (published by Trafford Publishing) ...

and more »