Want more business? Don’t forget who you’re talking to

By Lori Dubois, owner of Marketing Troubadour and CWCC Member

Research shows that using photos of people attract more attention than other subject matter, especially when you can see their eyes. I participated in a workshop exercise once in which we teamed up in pairs, then looked into each others’ eyes for an entire minute. A minute doesn’t seem like a long time until you find yourself staring into the soul of another person. It was an impactful, intense, and intimate exercise that resulted in several hugs and even tears for some at the conclusion. The lesson? If we look, if we pay attention, we see the humanity in all of us. When we are in sales and marketing mode, we need to remember this.

Marketing to Humans

Whenever you craft marketing messages and materials, imagine delivering that message in person while looking into their eyes. Would you write advertising copy in a more straightforward, authentic way if you pictured yourself having a one-on-one conversation? Sometimes we try too hard to be clever, funny, smart, or persuasive because we think it gives us an edge over the competition. What truly gives us an edge, however, is saying something relevant to our audience—creating a resonance that allows others to “look into our eyes” and understand us. If they understand us, they can make a better decision about whether it makes sense to do business with us, and if they choose to do so, your chances of “seeing eye-to-eye” are greatly increased.

As compelling as your message may be, remember it should be directed only to those who match your ideal client profile. You are not going to get business from someone who truly does not need what you have to offer (or you should hope you don’t), regardless of how authentic you appear. Relevant, accurate, and sincere messaging delivered to a narrowly defined target market will win every time over impersonal raw data distributed to the masses.

 

About Lori:
Lori Dubois is the owner of Marketing Troubadour, a marketing and branding firm focused on growing businesses through market, message, and methods. She uses storytelling as a tool for organizations to understand and communicate their WHY so they can attract the right people to grow and thrive. Her 25+ years of experience in marketing and advertising, combined with a Master’s Degree focusing on research and knowledge management, led Lori to found Dubois Information in 2008. Five years later, she changed the firm’s name to Marketing Troubadour to reflect the real-life, hands-on relationship she has with clients in helping them with their branding and marketing objectives. She is passionate about storytelling as a highly effective way to increase marketing effectiveness. In addition to developing and implementing messaging and marketing communication methods, Lori is a speaker and author on all things marketing and branding related, and has served on boards of two not-for-profit organizations.

You can contact Lori at lori@marketingtroubadour.com or visit her website at marketingtroubadour.com.