You want to sell more. You need to sell more. So here are three specific things that make marketing — anybody’s marketing — work harder.
Switch Pronouns
Everywhere you want to talk to customers, stop saying “us” and “we” and start saying “you.” On social media. On your website. In phone calls and sales calls. In company literature. In email and direct mail.
Talk about the customer and not about you. Show customers that you understand what they want and need. What opportunities and challenges they face. What life can look like for them with you by their side.
Flip the Picture.
Put the visual focus on your customers, too. Let them see themselves on your website, in your social media posts — everywhere you use images. No matter whether you sell a product or service, depict it making life better for them.
No one needs to see another image of your offices or your senior management team or your sales team or your providers. They need to see the best possible version of themselves -— as made possible by you.
Ask for Something.
Every message doesn’t have to ask for a purchase, but every one should have a call to action. If it’s social media, ask customers to comment about their experience or share their situation. In email, ask them to visit the website or share on their own social accounts.
On your website, ask them to download a PDF or watch a video or subscribe to an email or a podcast. In a direct mail piece, ask them to call or visit your website for more information.
In a face-to-face meeting, ask them to share their experiences, pro or con, in the area you serve. Ask about their goals or their concerns. Ask what keeps them up at night, or what lets them sleep easier.
So…Three Things.
Talk about the customer. Let them see themselves. Ask them to do something. Doing those three things consistently can have an enormous impact on lead generation and sales. Try it and see.