Jim's Marketing Blog

Here’s the problem with average… average doesn’t motivate or inspire people to do anything.

It looks like this:

• If you have an average meal at a restaurant, you still pay the bill, but you don’t bother recommending the place to your friends. That’s because we don’t recommend average food.
• If your accountant provides you with an average service, you still pay their fee, but you don’t bother recommending them. That’s because we don’t recommend average service.

In short, average lacks impact.

Why average is so common

A lot of small business owners make the mistake of assuming that because they get few complaints, their business offers an above average experience for their clients or customers. They confuse silence with satisfaction, which is a silly and costly error.

They think they are better than average and wonder why they get so few word of mouth referrals. All the time, they are totally unaware that the problem is with their average approach to business. People are not spreading the word about them, because there’s nothing worth saying.

From average to remark-able

Here’s the thing: With some extra creative thinking, attention and effort, most businesses can quickly go from average to remarkable. Remarkable work is work that is meaningfully different from the average providers in your industry. Remarkable work is exactly that — worthy of remarking on (or talking about.)

When your business becomes remarkable, people talk about you for all the right reasons. They share how exceptional your products, services or customer service is with everyone who will listen.

Give your marketplace a remarkable story about your work and they will share it. Of course, the flip side of this is the acceptance that if they are not already, regularly recommending you, your story needs improving.

If I were you, I’d work on that. Today.

Here’s a valuable marketing tip, from one of the world’s most successful companies. I’m going to share a marketing lesson from Apple, which you can apply directly into your business.

Throughout the last recession, Apple managed to break its sales records again and again. Whilst its competitors were floundering and cutting prices on far less expensive devices, Apple’s sales were growing quarter on quarter. At one point, Apple was the most valuable company in the world.

So, how does Apple sell so many premium priced devices, regardless of market conditions?

Apple bake marketing into their products

A huge part of the answer, can be found in the way that Apple constantly improves the value of its products. They make the new version of their products so much more valuable than the current version, that people, especially existing Apple customers, feel compelled to upgrade.

For example, when Apple launched the latest MacBook Air, it came with a huge benefit over the previous model: All day battery life. This was a huge technological and psychological breakthrough. It meant that people who are often away from the office all day, can charge their computer before they leave home and know they have 12 hours of battery life for the day ahead. No chargers to carry. No need to find somewhere to charge it.

The MacBook Air provided Apple’s core target market with huge value and huge perceived value. That value is what motivated people to buy the device. Of course, because Apple has invested years building better and better devices, there are some Apple fans who will buy almost anything Apple make.

Imagine that for a moment: A company that has FANS rather than customers.

What  your business can learn from Apple

By constantly improving what you offer and developing new, high value products and services, you provide a compelling reason for:

• Existing clients or customers to keep buying from you and recommending you to their friends.
• New clients or customers to be attracted to your products or services.

So, here’s a useful question for you to ask yourself:

What new products or services could you offer, which would provide clients and prospective clients with massive value?

Here are 2 places to look for answers:

1. A new, premium version of your current offering, which provides greater value.
2. A whole new product or service, based on the most pressing needs of your clients or customers. Apple did this with their 12 hour battery life.

Here’s the thing: Great marketing will get your message in front of the right people, at the right time, in as compelling a away as possible. However, that is only part of the journey.

When you match great marketing with a valuable (and thus highly desirable) product or service, your marketplace will buy from you, hire you and tell their friends about you.

PS: Here is more information on how you can bake marketing into your business.

If you want to attract your ideal profile of client and get more word of mouth referrals, this post is written just for you.

The power of focus

When you focus on delighting a segment of your potential clients, rather than trying to appeal to all of them, you give them a reason to talk about you.

Here’s why.

Those who your work and marketing is targeted toward, will feel as if you truly understand them. Your marketing messages will also feel directly relevant to them. When people in your targeted niche feel that way about you and your work, they tell their friends. Many of these friends will have a similar mindset and value your approach too. Birds of a feather and all that.

Soon, not only are you attracting more targeted clients, you are attracting more word of mouth referrals than before. Just as importantly, you are attracting word of mouth referrals from people who are a great fit for you and your business.

Delightful

The key is to focus exclusively on delighting, (providing a Meaningful Difference), to a targeted niche of your marketplace. These should be the people, who are your ideal profile of client. No compromising.

In short: Be directly relevant to those you most want to attract. Delight them… then watch your work spread.