TWO WORDS THAT MADE THE SALE

                  

By Ann Barr

On September 18, 2003, Hurricane Isabel impacted the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina and caused havoc in parts of Virginia.  It was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season.

One area affected was Virginia Beach, Virginia, where I live.  

As a result of Hurricane Isabel we were without electricity for nine and a half days.  So - no lights, no air conditioning, and if a house was all electric (like mine) - no way to cook meals.  BUT at the time, I used Verizon for my land line telephone service, so I did have use of telephones that were not powered by electricity.

Last year, because of an attractive bundling offer made by Cox Communications (including high-speed Internet service, digital television with extra movie channels AND digital land-line telephone service) I switched from Verizon to Cox for my land-line.  I was already using Cox for high-speed Internet service.

Because the warm weather is a reminder that hurricane season is approaching, two words in the Verizon telephone commercial I saw last month on television immediately caught my attention.

The Words That Made the Difference

What are the two words in the Verizon commercial that caused me to decide to switch back to Verizon?

“Always On.”

What that means is:  

Even if we lose power and have no electricity (which happened four years ago during Hurricane Isabel) we will still have telephone service if Verizon is our land line provider.

With Cox digital land line telephone service, that may not be the case.  No electricity could mean no telephone service (except for cell phone service).  Since we were without power for nine and a half days as a result of Hurricane Isabel, I still remember the inconvenience of that time.

How can you use words that differentiate your company from your competitor?

Think about it.  What does YOUR company do that others do not or cannot  - that would benefit customers?

The Key to Standing Out from the Crowd

In 1961, Rosser Reeves published a book entitled Reality in Advertising. In this book, Reeves revealed the secret behind his success as a copywriter (and later as chairman of the Ted Bates advertising agency) –the unique selling proposition (USP).

Reeves enjoyed great success by pointing out a specific and compelling benefit to the buyer that was unique to that product. The value-added benefit had to be something desirable that the competition did not, or could not, offer with their product.

In 1981, Jack Trout and Al Reis released Positioning:  The Battle for Your Mind, based on a concept the two developed way back in 1969.  Moving beyond the USP, Trout and Reis focused not on what you do to the product or service, but what you do to the mind of the prospective buyer.

Jack Trout relentlessly preached the power of positioning into the new millennium with Differentiate or Die.  This book comes full circle back to Rosser Reeves and the unique selling proposition, as Trout takes to task “creative” advertising that pulls heart strings but gives the prospect no reason to buy.

Focusing on the Difference

The author of Differentiate or Die outlines four steps to successfully differentiate yourself from competitors

   l   Step 1: Make sense in context. Your message must make sense within the context of your market category. Start first with a “snapshot” of customer perceptions about yourself and your competitors.

    l  Step 2: Find the differentiating idea. There are many ways to set your company apart from the competition. However you differentiate yourself, set the difference up as a benefit to the customer.

   l  Step 3: Have credentials. Your claims to the customer must be real and believable. You should be able to demonstrate the difference to the customer. That demonstration becomes your credentials.

   l  Step 4: Communicate your difference. You need to build a strong perception of your product in the market. Every aspect of your public communication should emphasize your difference.

Is it a Benefit for the Customer?

In 2003, Seth Godin gave us Purple Cow, a book that takes the USP a step further. Yes, your product or service must be unique, and yes, you must aim to position yourself in the prospect’s mind. But is it something worth talking about? Will your customers market for you? 

In 2005, Godin released the companion to Purple Cow, and called it All Marketers are Liars.  It’s not enough to be remarkable; you’ve got to take it one step further and make sure that the story you’re telling is one that people want to hear.

How does something stand out on its own, in our minds, get us talking… and also endure?  What determines whether you’ll get 15 minutes of fame or create a lasting impression?

When you decide on the most important benefit your product or service provides - that differentiates you from your competition; and that benefits the customer - you will be able to create an attention-getting headline to communicate that difference to your prospects and clients, as Verizon does with Always On.u

 

Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer who has written eight books on sales and marketing.  You can sign up for Ann’s free Weekly Sales Tips e-mailed newsletter at her web site www.sellingsupplies.com