The Perfect Marketing Message

You’re pulled over on the side of the road. You’ve got a flat and you car’s not going anywhere. A stranger pulls up and says “Oh, man, this happened to me last week.” Seeing your impatient kids in the back, he nods as though he understands what you’re going through. “I can call a tow for you. Or I’ve got a fixit kit in the trunk. Got it after my flat. Works great. If you want, I can get you back on the road in a few minutes.”

Your move. Do you say “No Thanks,” or “Yeah, that would be great!” I’m guessing you accept the assistance and even offer your unexpected helper some money at the end of this exchange. And you’ll feel good about it!

It may not seem that way, but this is an example of the perfect marketing message.

• The helper saw a problem and decided to respond to it.
• The first thing he offered was empathy. “Hey, I know what you’re going through. Been there myself.”
• Next comes the solution. “I’ve gotten through this myself; here’s what we need to do.”
• Finally, the helper shows that he can solve the problem right now. He has the answer; all you have to do is accept the help.

Every time you sell a service or a product on your website, you need to follow the same pattern. Recognize that the visitors to your site are trying to solve a problem. They have a pain, a personal issue, or a desire, and your best first move is to demonstrate empathy for that pain.

Next, bring in the solutions. Empathy makes the connection, but solutions make the sale.

Finally, validate yourself or your company as the best provider of the solution. “Look, we do this all day long; we’ve been in business 20 years. I can have what you’re looking for done by tomorrow.”

Follow the pattern of Problem, Empathy, Solution, Validation, and customers may just feel happy about paying for your product or service too!