Learn It - Pt 1

Marketing Currency Buys Attention, Time and Engagement

Once you've gotten the attention and interest of a prospect, the next thing they want is information. The information you provide can determine whether or not you'll be able to successfully transition from a Marketing Conversation to a Selling Conversation.

In this part we're going to dig into what Marketing Currency is, how to write it and how to leverage it to move your prospects around the Marketing Ball Game.

First of all, I call any written marketing materials "Marketing Currency" because you actually buy something from a prospect when you provide this currency. You buy their attention, time, interest, and commitment. Before a prospect reads your information they may have little interest or understanding of your services. By the time they have finished reading your information they may have a high degree of interest and understanding or your services. Just that few minutes of reading can make all the difference.

Marketing Currency and Marketing Ball

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Marketing Currency is how to utilize it in the Marketing Ball Game. It's not only important that you have good Marketing Currency, but that you know when to use it and how to use it to move a prospect around the bases. Each type of Marketing Currency has a purpose and an application. Let's look at all of them below.

Business Card

Often a business card is the first piece of Marketing Currency a prospect sees. These days, many business cards are mini-brochures that not only communicate your marketing message but include a short blurb about your services. Business cards are handed out when you make an in-person connection. It shows you are credible. But don't expect too much from business cards. It's rare that someone will contact you about your business just because you handed them a card. In fact, never expect that. It's like your Audio Logo. It gets some attention and interest but that's about it.

Executive Summary

This is a document you should have completed after Part Three on Marketing Messages. It's a one-page summary that gives a concise overview of your services in marketing syntax format: Your ideal clients, the problems they face, the outcomes you deliver, a little on your services, something about you, and a call-to-action. You can hand out Executive Summaries at networking meetings (especially at leads groups) and you can send them via pdf to someone you've met to give them a quick snapshot about your business. If you do this, it's often best to also send an article or other more substantive material along with it.

Articles/Reports/White Papers

Articles are excellent Marketing Currency because they are non-promotional in nature. They share ideas that a prospect would be interested in without selling your services in an overt way. The best articles solve a problem. That is, they discuss issues that are of concern to your prospects and then propose various solutions to those issues. Articles can also include case studies of clients you've worked with that demonstrate how a certain problem was resolved. I'll give you an example of this kind of article later.

Articles are also well received. When you're talking to a prospect and an issue comes up, you can say "Oh, I've written an article about that. I think you'd enjoy it. Can I send you a copy?" This then paves the way for follow-up. Reports and white papers are merely other names for articles. An article need not have been published in order to be effective. It may be an article you wrote for your newsletter or a more in-depth article for the purpose of generating more interest.

Case Studies

Nothing is more persuasive than a story. We discussed the use of stories in Marketing Conversations. A written case study can even have more impact. Case studies can be included on web sites, turned into pdfs and sent to prospects as stand-alone documents or included with an article or Executive Summary. You should have several case studies that relate a wide variety of client engagements. You can use case studies like you use articles, by offering them to prospects after a Marketing Conversation: "I worked with a client in similar circumstances as you. I have a case study on them that I'd like to send you."

All of the above Marketing Currency satisfies the need for the "more information" a prospect is looking for once you have their attention and interest. First you have to develop this material (which we'll get into later) and second you have to get this material into their hands. This can be harder than it seems but it's relatively easy if you have a process and remember that it's an important part of the Marketing Ball Game.

Here's the basic process of using Marketing Currency between first Base and Second Base in the Marketing Ball Game.

Step 1. A Marketing Conversation with prospect results in you saying you'll send them more information and that you'll follow up.

Step 2. You send the information either by email or mail.

Step 3. You follow up within a week for a follow-up conversation, which may lead to a Selling Conversation.

Remember, the purpose of Marketing Currency is to increase your familiarity and get a prospect more interested. Its purpose is not to sell. This is why attempts to send detailed information on services is usually not a good idea at this point. All you're trying to do is further the Marketing Conversation until it can lead to a Selling Conversation.

The following Marketing Currency has a different purpose. With a web site, eZine, blog and other social media, your purpose is to increase your visibility, credibility and brand identity. They can also be used, to some degree, as direct marketing mediums to push certain information and promotions in front of your prospects.

I have found that the combination of an eZine, web content, and some kind of presentation are ways to market to a relatively large number of prospects at once. These promotions can be used to funnel qualified prospects into Selling Conversations or into buying a program or product online. In this part we're only going to focus on marketing services, not online programs or products.

Web Content

Your web site should be the hub of all your marketing activity. Here you post information about your clients, your services and yourself. I see a web site as having three main purposes:

Purpose #1 - To collect the names and emails of your web visitors so that you can keep in touch with them through your eZine. If you don't have a way to get this information, I believe it's a waste to have a web site. Just because someone visits your site doesn't mean they will visit again any time soon. By capturing contact information you have the opportunity to market to them ongoingly.

Purpose #2 - To educate the visitor about your business and services. You never know where your web visitor will go on your site, so it's important to include detailed information on many areas of your business. I'll be discussing web content in more depth later in this document. It's a bonus if your web page results in an inquiry about your services. This can certainly happen if you have in-depth, well-written information on your services and a way to easily respond.

Purpose #3 - To post information on specific services or promotions that you send people to from your email list. For instance, if you are promoting a teleclass to inform people about a new service, you would write a brief email to your list with a link to that web page. This web page would include more detailed information on the teleclass and a sign-up form.

Email Newsletter (eZine)

In many ways, your eZine is your most important Marketing Currency of all. It is the vehicle that keeps your name, message, identity, and value in front of prospects. An eZine sent to your list at a minimum monthly (even better bi-monthly or weekly), helps to develop familiarity, trust and liking. Most eZines include one article of 500 to 1000 words and also some low-key promotion for your services or products. If you provide real value to your subscribers, you earn the permission to promote your services though this vehicle. An eZine should never be all promotion. Additional promotional emails (such as for the above-reference teleclass) can be sent to your list as well as long as you don't overdo it. I have filled workshops and high-end programs and sold millions of dollars of online products through my eZine.

One of the best applications of the eZine that follows Marketing Ball goes like this:

Step 1. Invite subscribers to attend a teleclass through your e-list.

Step 2. Direct them to a page on your web site with details on the teleclass with a sign-up form.

Step 3. Conduct the teleclass, giving away some real value. Don't just make it a pitch for your service.

Step 4. Invite people to take advantage of a Strategy Session. Have them go to your service page and fill out a form to request this session.

Step 5. Follow up and conduct Strategy Sessions. Convert from 20% to 80% of these sessions into clients or program participants.

Blog

The main purpose of a blog is to multiply your visibility, credibility and brand. I have not yet found this to be a great medium to drive people to my web site to take action, however, it can definitely help to increase your standing in the online world.

Social Media

Services like Facebook and Twitter are ways to increase your online connections and to push valuable content to your friends and followers. The potential of these new media is huge. It's beyond the scope of the Fast Track program to go into the use of these media but we have and will continue to interview people for our Expert Interviews on this topic.

Presentations

A presentation is also Marketing Currency. Talks, teleclasses, webinars are all designed to provide not only information but an experience of your services to potential prospects. We'll talk more about presentations in Part Six on Marketing Strategies.

Proposals/Agreements

A proposal is also an important Piece of Marketing Currency. Proposals come right after Selling Conversations. A proposal is simple once you know the format. More information on proposals is included in the last section (Pt 9) of Selling Conversations. 

Next: Marketing Currency Syntax

Continue to Part 2

Pt 2

Marketing Currency Syntax

The above section gave you a broad overview of the uses of Marketing Currency. Now that you know what to write and how these materials are used in your marketing, I'm going to talk about how to write these materials.

Your main tool in writing is Marketing Syntax. Syntax is used for both verbal and written communications. You can use Marketing Syntax as a kind of template to write all your Marketing Currency. Even though I have written thousands of pages of Marketing Currency, I always come back to this formula. I'm going to cover this formula in a general way first and then show you how to apply it to specific types of Marketing Currency.

The Marketing Syntax overview below might be used on a web site to describe a particular service. I use this format whenever I'm offering a product, service, program or workshop. It's a proven formula that gets results.

Target Market

The first question any reader of your currency has is, "Is this for me?" So this is the first thing you want to talk about. It might be in a headline, an opening sentence or an opening paragraph or two. And the more specific you can be, the more impact, the more attention and interest.

Written materials that start out by saying, "this is for business who want to manage more effectively," will not gain the same attention as information targeted to, "widely dispersed sales forces who communicate primarily from the road and need to be managed more effectively." Do you see how that's much more specific?

If your readers don't understand whom you are targeting in the first two seconds, you will lose them. Amazingly, much marketing material contains no clue about the target audience. It's all about them, their business, process, and services. You have to guess who this service is for. But unless I know what you have is for me, you won't get very far.

Problems

Just as with the Audio Logo, you want to get into the problem in the first part of your Marketing Currency. And to do this successfully, you must know the key problems your services address. You don't want to be general. "Many businesses today are struggling because of the recession." That could be written for anyone, and you need to direct your message to a specific kind of problem.

Instead, be more targeted: "In a down economy, training services are often seen as an extra that can be easily cut from corporate budgets." If you work with training companies on their marketing, you have their attention; you demonstrate through the use of a problem statement that you understand their issues.

Again, much of the written marketing material available avoids the problem altogether - it just focuses on the solutions. To some people it seems negative to talk about problems first, but until I know you have a real grasp of my issues and challenges, I don't trust you. Demonstrate that you understand the problems, and then I'll hear your solutions.

Outcomes

The outcome, or as I like to call it, "Ultimate Outcome," is the mirror image of the problem statement. It is not a process. Review Part Three of this program on Marketing Messages if you need more clarity about this. A good way to demonstrate an effective outcome statement is to show it in contrast to the problem statement. You should be able to pair several problem statements with several outcome statements about your services.

Outcome statements like the ones above all point in the direction of solutions to the problems without going into the process of exactly how those outcomes are reached. When you read statements like these, you become more interested and want to know more about how these outcomes can be achieved.

Stories

The best way to build desire about your services is through stories. Up to this point, you've been very conceptual. With a story, the concepts become real. And the best way to tell a story is to use the first three elements of Marketing Syntax - Target, Problem and Outcome:

1. Target: Here was a client whom we worked with who had the following situation and characteristics.

2. Problem: This is the challenge this client was experiencing.

3. Outcome: We worked with this client and produced these results.

If you can use case studies or testimonials that use this basic syntax, your Marketing Currency will be very persuasive. Your stories need to be real and they need to include enough detail so that they are believable. Never make up a story!

Benefits

Benefits are all the things a client gets when they work with you. The Ultimate Outcome is the Big Benefit, but there are always additional benefits that can be very important to the client. You can start by making a long list of everything that a client gets and then writing a one or two sentence benefit statement for each.

In writing sales letter for products or services, these benefits are often in the form of bullet points. The bullet points hit home the value of the product or service and give more reasons why this service is valuable.

Here are some benefit-oriented bullet points I used in my Marketing Mastery Program page:

• Step outside your comfort zone and take on projects that you once considered impossible.

• Work with your clients at a level of commitment and excellence that will accelerate their results (and your income) beyond the expected.

• Get past limiting beliefs, states of mind and behaviors that have been holding you back for your whole life.

• Experience wins and successes that are not just episodic, but that are repeatable and predictable.

• Feel true satisfaction and fulfillment as a business owner that will spill over into all areas of your life.

How It Works

In this part of your Marketing Currency, you're finally getting to the process, or what works and what happens when someone works with you. This is important information as well; it's just that it needs to be near the end, not at the beginning of your currency. How it works includes things like the structure of a training program, the number and length of coaching sessions, the timeline for a web design project, and the materials required for participants in a workshop.

Here's another example from the Marketing Mastery Program:

1. Two group sessions by teleconference per month. Each meeting will be approximately 90 minutes long. Sessions will be recorded if you need to miss a session.

2. One (or more) small group meeting per month with your "Power Group" of 3-4 program participants.

3. A minimum of one individual meeting with Robert Middleton by telephone each month.

4. A Marketing Mastery Report sent to Robert every month, logging the progress in implementing your Marketing Plans.

5. Participation in the Action Plan Marketing Club - using the materials and resources in the Club as needed.

What to do

This is your call-to-action. All Marketing Currency needs a call-to-action where you ask the reader to do something. At the end of an Executive Summary you might ask someone to go to a web site and get an article. On a web site you ask your visitors to sign up for your eZine. At the end of an article you point to more in-depth information on your web site. At the end of a service description or sales letter on your site, you have a response form for the visitor to reply to.

Next: Where to Start with Marketing Currency

Continue to Part 3

Pt 3

Where to Start with Marketing Currency

That's the basics of Marketing Syntax in your Marketing Currency. Now I want to spend the rest of this part, looking at the two most important pieces of Marketing Currency - Articles and your Web Site. Again, articles are important because you can use them as an immediate tool to leverage your connections and follow up. You can write an article today and have it ready to give to a prospect tomorrow. You can't take six months to write an article like that; you don't need to. I'm going to share a few very powerful article-writing strategies that are both easy and effective.

Your web content is more your long-term Marketing Currency project. You probably already have a web site. But my guess is that the content is inadequate. The good thing is that you can improve your site one page at a time and before long have a site with very good content that will serve you well for years to come.

The Ten Mistakes Article

One of the best formats for an article is the "Ten Mistakes Article." This is an article that outlines ten mistakes a prospect is making and ten solutions they can use to resolve those problems.

A Ten Mistakes Article is effective for five reasons.

1. It focuses on a problem, on what doesn't work. This is always attention-getting. It addresses real issues people are dealing with now and that's always interesting and compelling.

2. It gives a specific number - ten mistakes - which is easy to deal with and to grasp. People love it when you break things down into steps. You can actually use a different number - five, seven, nine, etc, just as long as it's ten steps or less.

3. The solution to these mistakes is not stated but implied in the title. If you know the ten mistakes, readers assume you probably also know the ten solutions, and that makes you an expert. Of course, the solutions are also included in the article.

4. It is easy to read and complete. Many articles don't get read to the end. By breaking it down into those ten mistakes (1/3 to 1/2 page for each), you make it very easy to digest. It pulls you along because you know there are a finite number of ideas in the article and each one transitions into the next.

5. It's easy for you to write. This is something you can do and it can be done quickly. In workshops I've given people 45 minutes to write such an article, and most people managed a decent first draft in that time.

All you need to figure out is, "What ten mistakes?" This is simple. Just base it on your primary business service.

For instance, if you teach presentation skills for leaders, your title is, "Ten Mistakes Leaders Make in Giving Presentations." If you are a process improvement consultant, your article is called, "Ten Mistakes That Sink Process Improvement."

The article starts with a few paragraphs that give an overview, then outlines the ten mistakes and the basic solution to each. Don't worry about "giving away the store." You're not writing a book, but an article that's five to seven pages long.

The Ten Mistakes article will use Marketing Syntax over and over. Problem (mistake) number one, followed by solution number one, followed by story number one. Then problem number two, etc., until you're done.

Let me give you a quick example. This is an article about "The Ten Mistakes of Leadership." Please note that I'm not a management expert and am only using this as an example of how to structure an article, not as an example of my management expertise.

Mistake #1 - Command and Control

The first mistake of leadership is to assume a command and control approach to get people to do what you want them to do. Yes, this might show that you're in change, but unless your followers are army privates, your employees will resent and resist you.

Instead of commanding, good leaders make listening their number one priority. They don't go through the motions of listening; they really tune in and tap into the expertise of their employees. When employees are heard they feel included and that they matter. Once you've listened and the options are on the table, you can choose a course of action that will get buy-in and support.

One of our clients, A CEO of a software company had been struggling to get a project moving for a number of months using the command and control approach. He was only getting more frustrated. When we suggested he solicit the input of his employees, he doubted it would work. We showed him how to set up meetings that were designed to get maximum input and that ensured the employees would be heard. Just two meetings of this kind resulted in a decision to move in a certain direction with the software project. The project was completed on time and on budget resulting in over $2.7MM in new revenues for the year.

Articles Produce Results

I think you can see that an article that strung together seven to ten of these "problem, solution, story sets" would be very effective. It would teach the reader what not to do, what to do that works, and also demonstrate your expertise in solving problems for companies. After reading the above example, don't you want to know more about how those meetings were set up to get such favorable results? Your prospects will want to know as well.

You complete the article with a wrap-up of the principles covered, and then at the end you include your short bio and a low-key call to action such as:

James Grendall works with leaders in all industries who want to increase their effectiveness and improve profits. He offers a complimentary "Leadership Strategy Session" that assesses your current leadership effectiveness and shares ideas for making your leadership the key leverage in improving company results. Contact James ...

I hope you're starting to get a better idea of how this whole process works and how Marketing Currency, in this case an article, transitions easily into the follow up call and offering a Strategy Session.

Write that Article!

This is the next step you should take. Until you have an article like this, you won't be able to move forward in the Marketing Ball Game. Once you have this article you have a powerful tool for leveraging those connections, enabling you to follow up and set up Selling Conversations or Strategy Sessions as covered in Part 4.5.

If you need some extra motivation and ideas for writing, I recommend you listen to or read the Expert Interview with Daphne Gray-Grant called "How to Write Easier, Faster, Better." This includes many strategies for getting your ideas out of your head and down on paper. And if you also follow this "Ten Mistakes Article" formula, you'll be well on your way.

Next: Web Site Content

Continue to Part 4

Pt 4

Web Site Content

I'm only going to include the barest of outlines for your web content in this section. The reason is that I've covered this material in great depth in the InfoGuru Marketing Manual, and in even more depth in the Web Site ToolKit. If you are serious about having a high quality web site that gets web visitors to respond, I'd recommend using one or both of these resources. If you have neither, I'd suggest that you get the Web Site ToolKit.

A web site consists of several important elements that all have to be fully integrated - design, content, navigation, and promotion. You should be familiar with all of these elements, but the one you'll have the most input on is the content. I always recommend that you write the first draft of your content based on the outline in the Web Site Toolkit.

Your next step is to find a designer to construct the site for you. If you're determined to do it yourself, I recommend one of the do-it-yourself platforms that allow you to work from a template and customize it to your needs. One of the best is called "WordPress." But even if you use WordPress, it's not a bad idea to get a designer to help you in the customization so that you have a unique design and identity that doesn't look like everyone else's.

Here are the very basics of web content: I'll start with the name of the page, followed by the question that this page answers and then a little more about what should be included on this page.

1. Home Page - What exactly is this service and why should I be interested? Start with the Executive Summary as the content of your home page. This gives a complete overview of your business in Marketing Syntax format. The purpose of the web page is to orient the visitor and then get them to visit other pages on the Site.

2. Is This You? or Our Clients Page - Is this service for me? Will it work for me and/or my business? This page talks about the needs and problems your clients face. This page is about your prospects, not about you. I like to include several "problem scenarios" that your prospects can easily relate to. But don't tell how you solve the problems on this page.

3. Our Results Page - What kind of results can I expect if I hire you and use your services? This is a big overview that gives information on the results they can expect plus other information about how you work, your personal philosophy, etc. This page builds confidence that you can produce results.

4. Case Studies Page. Who else has used this product or service and what were their results? For many, this will be the heart of your web site. People want to know about real results conveyed as stories. Includes several case studies or stories of successful clients, projects, or engagements.

5. Services Page. How exactly do your services work? What's the process and structure? Finally, this is where you get into your process. This explains in detail how your services work. What will your services do for the client and what are all the benefits? If you have several services, you will have several service pages, often with an overview of all your services on one page. You want in-depth details on all of these service pages.

6. About Us Page. Are you credible? Do you have the experience to help me? Tell about your background and experience and why you are qualified to do what you do. Make it personal and friendly and include your picture. Nobody wants to do business with an anonymous Independent Professional.

7. Contact Us Page - What do I have to do next to get and use your services? Explain the steps a client will take in working with you and what will happen first when they contact you. Remember that it can be scary contacting a professional. Make yourself approachable on this page instead of just listing your basic contact information - address, phone, email, etc.

8. Free Stuff Page - What free information can I get from you right now? Give away a free article or report and capture their name and email by signing them up for your eZine. As I said, earlier, this is the primary use of a web page for first time visitors. The home page needs to funnel visitors to this page quickly and easily.

If you already have a web site and you don't have all the content for these different pages, then make it a priority to add these pages to your site. Do just one page a week and you'll have a complete site in two months or less. Don't worry about doing it perfectly, just work on getting it up.

The Web Site ToolKit (included in the Fast Track Program) will take you step-by-step through every single page and explain what to put on the page, how to write it and how to make sure it gets the response you're looking for. 

Next: Key Purpose of Marketing Currency 

Continue to Part 5

Pt 5

Key Purpose of Marketing Currency

Here's a useful way to think about Marketing Currency: It's purpose is to answer questions a prospect might have about your services so that they move closer to working with you. Every piece of Marketing Currency should accomplish that aim to one degree or another.

Let's look at all the different pieces of Marketing Currency and show how they do that.

Executive Summary - Answers the big questions about what your business is about, who you work with, what client challenges you address and the kind of results you produce. Provides clarity and credibility. If you haven't done your Executive Summary yet, it's time to do so! (Do this in the Marketing Messages Do It section.)

Articles and Reports - Answers the questions of how you help your clients produce results. It does this by outlining problems, solutions, and stories. A good article can be used thousands of times to educate your prospects about your services. The "Ten Mistakes Article" format is a great place to start. You can also use an article like this as a free giveaway on your web site as an enticement to sign up for your eZine. (Go to the first Do It section to create your article)

Web Content - Answers virtually every question a prospect might have about your business. After reading your web site, a prospect should be interested enough to give you their name and email and get on your list. An even more interested prospect will fill out a form or send an email inquiring about your services.

Services or Programs Web Page - This is one of the most important parts of a website as it outlines in great detail what you are offering, who you are offering it to, all the benefits, structure, etc. of that program. This provides the information a prospect needs before you engage them in a selling conversation. (The second Do It Module gives a complete outline of a services or program web page.) 

Ezine and Blog - Answers the question, "Are you credible and established?" by providing solid content over a long period of time. It would be great if every first time web visitor responded to you and inquired about your services. But that's not realistic. An eZine and blog increases the chance that a web visitor will finally respond to you. (You can work on an eZine or blog when we get to the Marketing Action Plans section of the Program.)

The Good News About Marketing Currency

The good news is that once you have an article and web site, you can use them for years to come. Sure you may want to update these occasionally, but this Marketing Currency will pay dividends for years to come. It's certainly worth the investment of time, money and energy to get these pieces into place as quickly as possible.

The Bad News About Marketing Currency

The bad news is that if you want long-term marketing impact you're going to have to write materials on a regular basis. The absolute minimum is a monthly eZine. Ideally you'll write an eZine about twice a month and a blog post a few times a month. Is this absolutely required for your marketing? No, it's not, but if you want to take full advantage of the power of Marketing Currency to promote your business, the key is to keep sharing valuable content.

Part 5 Wrap Up

Marketing Currency is your most important marketing tool. If you develop several pieces of Marketing Currency, you have the ability to easily move your prospects through the Marketing Ball game. Perhaps more importantly, if you don't have this Marketing Currency, your marketing will be stopped in its tracks. Remember, right after you have the attention and interest of a prospect, what they want next is more information. If you can't provide that information, the marketing process stops.

What you need to do right now.

Make it a priority now to develop your core pieces of Marketing Currency, starting with your Executive Summary and Ten Mistakes Article and then Case Studies, your Web Site and eZine. The good news is that you can get a lot of leverage just with a good Executive Summary, Article and a few Case Studies. The next time you speak to someone about your business, you'll have something to send to them.

Make sure to look at the various examples of Marketing Currency such as articles, web sites, etc. on the Marketing Samples page. 

Put into action what you just learned