How do you sell you or your business with a 45-second commercial or at a networking event? Do you start with “I provide _____” (a “sales dump” of all your services?) Or do you introduce yourself by your job description and then try your best to keep eye contact as your audience’s attention wanders?
What we learned today is that if you sell this way, stop. The people we’re addressing don’t care about us or what we offer “Until they know how what you have can benefit them,” says Mark Magnacca in his book So What? How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience.
When we market what we offer, we have to communicate tangible benefits rather than features of our products/services. Features are characteristics (e.g., same day return calls, 6 full-time staff, 65 minute massage). Benefits are outcomes or what people get from our product/service. Customers don’t buy features, they only buy benefits.
How can LINQS members apply the So What? factor to our 45-second commercials?
Remember that your pitch should answer these questions:
For what? (For what reason are you giving your presentation or pitch?)
Your 45-second commercial should:
Highlights key benefits, compelling and relevant to the audience
Part 1: Ask a question or state the typical “pain” people often experience who don’t buy from you. Get the audience to agree with you and feel that you really understand their challenges
Part 2: Describe or state the key benefits people receive because you make all that pain go away!
We explored this 2-part template to create new 45-second commercials and worked in small groups to craft our new “pitches:” We can’t wait to hear all the new commercials next week!
Review Cathi Hight’s Full 45 Second Commerical Presentation
Cathi Hight
Kaizen Consultant
Hight Performance Group, Inc.
(720) 304-0747