How to Stand Out With Your Marketing Message
“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident”. – Dale Carnegie
Many years ago, gentlemen would travel from town to town selling their magic elixirs. These potions would be touted as the latest and greatest remedies for baldness, gout, or indigestion. Regardless of what the medication was for, these gentlemen would stand in front of a crowd of on-lookers, with confidence. How did they do it? They had a prepared marketing message.
As an entrepreneur, it is imperative to know how to speak confidently about you and your business. Having a prepared marketing message will not only prevent you from fumbling with your words and appearing unprofessional, but it will also ensure you mention every key selling point about your company. Being prepared ensures you will speak confidently. Why is this so important? Because speaking with confidence will give the impression that your business is established and successful. It will also ensure your listeners are instantly captivated and engaged; confidence grabs and holds your audience’s attention, garnering respect, and trust.
Every business requires marketing to succeed. Being a good marketer means talking about yourself and your services confidently. Clients want to deal with people they like and have trust in. When they ask why they should hire you as their Home Stager, Feng Shui Specialist, Professional Organizer, Decorator & ReDesigner, or Event & Wedding Planner, you should be prepared with an excellent answer. The key is to deliver your marketing message in a consistent, confident manner.
How to create your marketing message:
1. Begin by making a list of things that you have accomplished in your life. Often, people have accomplishments, achievements, characteristics, and attributes that they do not believe are relevant. Everything is of value; this is not the time to be modest. Even if you are unused to marketing yourself, believe that what you have achieved adds value to your business. When crafting this list, view it not from the perspective of “look at me”, but rather from the customer’s perspective. Ask yourself, “what can I offer to help my clientele?”.
Examples are:
- Your education, such as a certificate from Ultimate Academy®, or a college or University degree
- Raising a family
- Running a busy home
- Emigrating to Canada
- Your prior jobs or careers, such as management, retail, or customer service roles
- Your creativity
- Your initiative
- Your outgoing personality
- Your positive attitude
- Your detail-oriented personality
- Your passion for Home Staging, Feng Shui, Organizing, Decorating & ReDesign, or Event & Wedding Planning
- Your ability to speak multiple languages
- Your multiple Ultimate Academy® certifications
Use this list to discover and articulate what makes you stand out, what it is you would like to be known for, and what you would like your impact to be. Take this time to discover what makes you awesome.
2. Create a draft of your marketing message. This draft should be developed and built outwards, from a 10-second introduction, to a 30-second introduction, and finally, to a 2-minute introduction.
A. Your 10-second introduction should include:
- Your name
- Your certification(s)
- Your company name and slogan
Your slogan should be compelling and unforgettable. It should also encapsulate the key benefit(s) that you want customers to associate with your business. When creating your slogan, keep in mind it should:
- Be short and simple; under 9 or 10 words is ideal
- Complement both your company and your projected image
- Focus on what makes your company stand out
- Be timeless; avoid verbiage such as “the only”
- Not be mysterious; like your company name, your slogan should express what your business does
- Be geared towards your target market; if you are planning to offer your services Canada-wide, do not incorporate local geography or jargon in your slogan
Keep your message short, positive, and personal
B. Your 30-second introduction should include:
- Everything in the 10-second introduction
- Key sentences highlighting your “awesomeness”, from your list of achievements/attributes
- For example, “We take a creative approach to every project, ensuring no two designs are alike”, or “As we carry multiple product lines, we are a one-stop shop for all of your organization and decorating needs”.
- Remember to focus outwardly on your audience and their needs, rather than inwardly on what you are feeling
C. Your 2-minute introduction should include:
- Everything in the 30-second introduction
- Additional facts, such as “The secret to our success is our attention to detail. We look after all of the little things, so you don’t have to”.
- Your story on how you became a Home Stager, Feng Shui Specialist, Professional Organizer, Decorator & ReDesigner, or Event & Wedding Planner; tell the “why” behind your business
- A call to action; this should be small but mighty
- Your call to action should be explicit and concisely detailed, such as “Subscribe to our e-newsletter for great organizing tips and tricks”, or “Visit our website for a peek at the latest home we staged, which sold in under 24 hours”.
- This message is ideal for your website, meeting with clients and real estate agents, or for introducing yourself at networking events
Ensure your marketing message is both compelling and authentic; “this is your opportunity to shine and show what really makes you unique”. Constructing your message is a process, but it contributes greatly to the success of your business.
3. Review and refine your message.
Practice makes perfect:
Once your marketing message has been drafted, reviewed, and refined, the time has come to practice it. Repeating it in front of a mirror, as well as in front of family and friends, allows you to become more comfortable and therefore, more confident. Knowing your material and practicing its delivery, will ensure you appear natural rather than rehearsed.
Your marketing message should also include:
- Pauses
- Before you begin speaking, pause and take time to collect your thoughts
- Create emphasis by pausing between important points, as well
- Movements
- Gestures can be utilized to emphasize your words
- Movements can be also used to attract and hold your audience’s attention
- Breathing from your belly
- This helps the air to escape more powerfully
- Your voice will sound stronger, which will make you feel more confident
- Standing up straight with your shoulders back
- This power pose will make you instantly look and feel more confident
- Speaking slowly with an even tone, and enunciating every word
- How you say your marketing message is just as important as the words you are saying
- Speaking too quickly will make you appear nervous and perhaps untrustworthy
- The listener may either stop paying attention, or fill in the blanks themselves
- Smiling and making eye-contact
- Channelling your nervousness into positive energy
- Change your mindset; view your anxiety as excitement
Speaking confidently about yourself and your business is best achieved by preparation and practice. Taking the time to discover what makes you distinct, provides an opportunity to tell the world how awesome you are. Practicing your introduction until you have it down pat, ensures you always appear professional.
Creating a consistent marketing message will not only boost your confidence, but will also engage and captivate your audience.