There is a gap between how we think about our business, and how our customers think about our business.
In our business we automatically think from business delivery mode – what we are doing in our business, for our customers.
It takes stepping outside of our business to be able to look at it through our customers’ eyes.
Why is this so important?
Because our customers make decisions of where to shop, what to buy and what to do based on what is important to them.
You may be offering the best product or service for your customer base – but if the value of what you do isn’t crystal clear you are losing sales, market share and profit.
You cannot expect your customers to do the mental gymnastics to understand why they should choose you
Your JOB is to clearly communicate what you have to offer and why it is important to your customers.
The challenge is there is a gap between how we think about our business, and how our customers think about our business!
So I created the Marketing Communication Formula.
We always start with what you know and how you naturally think, which is what you do for your customers – your features.
Every business owner (and employee) can list all the different products, programs and services that the business offers – these are your features. And the place to start.
The next step is to identify the benefit of every feature – how are your customers better off, what is the impact of each feature?
Often this is where business owners stop – but there is one more step.
For each feature and benefit, why is that important for your customer?
That third step – identifying why what you do is important for your customer is the lynchpin. You have to communicate why it is important to capture your audience’s attention before you can offer the benefits and features.
Again here is the Marketing Communication Formula – Design:
- Identify the features – what you do
- Identify the benefits of each feature – how your customers are better or, the impact of each feature
- Why is this important for your customer?
This is ALWAYS the three step formula to identify what to communicate to your customers, and you ALWAYS start by identifying your features (what you do).
Why? Because if you try to jump right to why it is important for your customers you are bypassing how you naturally think about your business and trying to put your brain through mental gymnastics.
However when it comes to communicating your message to your audience you reverse the Formula.
In other words – your marketing needs to lead with Why it is Important to your customers, followed up with the benefits they will receive delivered by the features you offer.
Marketing Communication Formula – Message:
- Why is this important for your customer?
- Describe the benefits – how your customers are better or, the impact of each feature
- Delivered by the features – what you do
You first must capture your customers’ attention by stating why what you have to offer is important to them.
Then outlining the benefits they will get from what you offer.
And finally backing all of that up with how you do it – your features.
For example – a pharmacy may be getting ready to launch and market a new diabetes program.
They could just advertise that they are now holding diabetes seminars, and they may get a few people who want to know more about diabetes but to fill up their seminars they need to communicate the benefit and why it is important.
So applying the Marketing Communication Formula:
Features: offering a monthly one hour seminar led by a pharmacist on diabetes and how to treat it. Included are resources, education, plus one on one direction.
Benefits: someone dealing with diabetes now has a resource to better understand their diabetes, how to treat it and how to manage it. They get direct contact with a pharmacist as well as guided information and resources to make their life easier and better.
Why this is important: Learning to live well with diabetes
Advertising Message:
Live Well with Diabetes!
Learn the simple changes to make it easier to manage and track your diabetes. Work directly with our pharmacist plus get all the resources you need all in one place at ABC Pharmacy’s Monthly
Live Well with Diabetes Seminars.
Call 123-456-7890 to reserve your spot today.
If you don’t craft your message this way – then you are expecting your customers to go through the mental gymnastics that you haven’t done yourself.
IT IS YOUR JOB to understand what you offer, the value it provides, why it is important to your customers’ and communicate your message so that it is received, understood and can be acted on by your customer.
The Marketing Communication Formula is now one of your secret weapons – you offer great value to your marketplace, now draft your message so you clearly communicate it!