[Marketing Memo] Let's Kick Some Butt

By Cary Weston

I saw my first campaign sign sticking up from the roadside this week and I know that over the next few weeks, we'll see signs popping up all over the city. Folks will be crafting their message and asking for your consideration. It's a process that as a candidate can be an intense and emotional roller coaster.

Two years ago I ran for office for the fist time. It was a very interesting experience.
You should know this about me: I'm very competitive and when I get involved in any competition, my only goal is to kick butt.

So I planned for weeks. I strategized my attack. I crafted my rather small budget and I set my sights on the moment when the balloons would rise, the streamers would fall, and my hands would be held triumphantly over my head as I played to the applause of the masses at the victory rally (silly I know but I even had a soundtrack in my head).

And as I put my signs out, passed out my literature, tended to the website, manned the social media accounts, shook hands, and kissed babies, I realized that people are busy. They don't have time to pay attention to me just because I want them to.

There needs to be a reason and a benefit to them.

I needed to connect as I found the most crucial element of the campaign was the ability to connect with people - quickly and simply.

And the one who could do it the best, would see the most success, and kick the most butt.

I like that.

Just like in the world of small business.

I received some simple but effective advice that was very helpful in building connections with voters and it's also a great goal for small businesses:
    •    Find three things that define you as a candidate and makes you worthy of their vote
    •    Boil each down to a simple and easily digestible nugget
    •    And say it, say it, say it over and over again.
And just as those campaign nuggets have to be relevant to your target voter, your business nuggets have to be relevant to your desired customer.

So your Monday marketing task is this - Run for office (or better yet - run for business): Find three things that makes you worthy of me giving you my hard-earned money. And then ask yourself the following:
    •    Are they unique and meaningful?
    •    Can a customer understand the nuggets quickly?
    •    Can they easily digest the personal benefit of what you're saying?
    •    Do they make me want to act?
Test it out on customers. Heck, even better, ask customers for help on the exercise.
Simple nuggets that define you as a business. Nuggets that define your benefit to the customer in terms they can understand, appreciate, and better yet, act on.

Why? Because there are plenty of other competitors campaigning for the business and I'd like to help you kick their butt.

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- Cary Weston is a partner of Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications in Bangor, Maine

Connect online:
Company's Web: www.sutherlandweston.com
Cary's Twitter Acct: www.twitter.com/cary_weston
Cary's Linked In Acct: www.linkedin.com/in/caryweston