Tom Peters is one of the marketing greats. Here just a bit of wisdom from him.
If you read enough books about survivors–those who live through what seem to be impossible circumstances–you’ll start to notice one trait common to them all: Survivors don’t waste time thinking about the past and how things used to be. Survivors get the “lay of the land” they’re currently in, focus on the task at hand, and move forward in the new direction with purpose. Some survivors seem to get this instinctively, while others take longer to figure it out. But it seems that the sooner you figure it out, the sooner your situation begins to change.
Whenever I have any kind of marketing question, you guys have the answer. I love that!
One of the most powerful tools in creating exposure and building relationships in our modern techno world is Twitter.
What? You don’t have a Twitter account yet? Why not? Here are just a few things Twitter can do for you:
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- Connect you with current clients and patients.
- Connect you with other professionals.
- Expose your practice to an interested audience.
- Increase traffic to your website.
- Build your brand awareness.
- Build your professional credibility.
- Keep you current with industry news.
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Still unconvinced? Here are yet more good reasons to get Tweeting:
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- You don’t have to be great writer or love to blog. A “tweet” by design is limited to only 140 characters–about as long as the text in this bullet point.
- Twitter is social.
- Women are social.
- Women are your biggest market.
- Tweeting is easy.
- Creating a Twitter account is easy.
- Creating a Twitter account is free. (Since when do you turn down free exposure?)
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Get Tweeting and get more business. Twitter.com
“My new logo and website are incredibly sharp and professional looking. Moxzee does a great job. Thanks for making me look so good!”
“The folks at Moxzee really understand the challenges of a small business. Thanks to them, I’m now spending my marketing budget in ways that really make a difference to my business.”
“I had no idea what a difference good marketing could make until I started working with Moxzee. Wow. Thanks Moxzee!”
As grateful as I am for the miracle of modern medicine, especially when I have a raging headache, I am anything but grateful for the current drug commercials. You know the ones: Scenes of happy family life, warm, sunny days, and good times–followed by a lengthy spoken disclaimer that goes something like this: “Our drug will cure your headache, but you may experience stomach cramps, blindness, or even death.” Interesting trade. Nevertheless, the drug companies are not hurting for business (no pun intended). Despite my personal annoyance at these ads, they clearly illustrate two marketing principles at work: 1) Sell the benefits, and 2) Sell to women.
1. Sell the benefits.
We all want to be happy, to enjoy fulfilling relationships and vibrant health. And we would prefer all our days to be beautiful and trouble free. Drug companies know this, and they spend millions of dollars to convey this message: “See these happy people enjoying life with their loved ones? You can have this life, too, if you just take our drug!”
They don’t go into the details of the drugs ingredients. (No one really cares, as longs at it works, right?) They also don’t dwell on the negative side effects. We see no emotional scenes of suffering, pain, or even discomfort. We are given a brief and quickly spoken voiceover with no fanfare. This is because the drug companies are not selling us a list of ingredients or a list of potential side effects. They are selling us the benefits of the drug: comfort, happiness, health, etc. They are selling us the dream–the idea that we, too, can have the peace and joy we see on the screen if we will take that drug.
2. Sell to women.
Women make 85 percent of consumer purchases and influence another 10 percent. Women generally resonate to scenes of babies, children, families, and emotional experiences. We like personal connections. And we also really appreciate anything that makes our busy lives less complicated.
Again, your average drug commercial is composed of relationships, families, children, grandchildren, etc. And the underlying message is “If you take our drug, your life will be easier.” Finally, the whole beautiful scene is underscored with music designed to heighten the emotional response.
Are men alienated by this call to women? Doubtful (at least no more alienated than they are by the stated risks of taking the drug). Unless it’s for a product used exclusively by women, selling to women generally makes ads more appealing to men as well.
What About Your Practice?
Do your clients understand they enjoy the companionship of their pet longer because of heartworm prevention? Do they know they don’t have to suffer with bad doggy breath? Do they know the food you sell results in less waste to scoop off the back lawn?
Your services help create better lives. Make sure your clients know it!
The implications of thinking big are widespread and impressive. Thinking big is a magic door opener that broadens your perspective and allows you to see new opportunities. Thinking big makes life easier and a lot more fun. It also makes large profits more probable. - Richard Carlson, Don’t Worry, Make Money
Trust is the highest form of motivation. It brings out the very best in people.
“But it takes times and patience, and it doesn’t preclude the necessity to train and develop people so that their competency can rise to the level of that trust.” – Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
