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Other Added - Grab Your Audience by Focusing on Benefits
Employers can tell which job candidates have done company research and which ones have not. Candidates who can offer information about the organization's mission statement, growth expectations and/or major competitors are the ones who will be most likely to find themselves receiving job offers.Find out as much as you can about the company. At the very least, check out their web presence. The more you know about the company, the better prepared you will be and the more likely you will be to succeed during the interview. You are certain to be more confident and prospective employers will take notice.Here are two good reasons to perform company research: One reason to find out more about the prospective employer is to determine if you want to work there. Not all positions are created equal. Another reason is to be able to respo
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had pl
ForewordWhen friends asked me why not you write the ways of how to shop online safely, I asked him, “Why me?”He said, a lot of people having problem on shopping online without worrying about anything. Why not you write some buying tips and by adding in some advice. It will help them a lot he replies.We had met but a few times and I was able to think readily of many who had more aptitude regarding the subject other than myself.It is true that I have spent many years using the online shopping tool to buy my software and stuff and I do had this weird feeling “not save, and better be careful”. During this time it has been my job to relate the desires and instincts of many to the where, how, and when to apply this tips. Still, I thought, am I justified in writing a forward to a book dedicated solely to the buying tips?Have you ever chosen to pay attention to someone just because they were so self-absorbed they didn’t even know you were in the room? Of course not! We pay attention to people who take an interest in us. If we want our readers to pay attention to us, we better pay attention to them!
The people we come in contact with through the course of our jobs are human beings with feelings, needs, wants, and desires. When we take the time to figure out how what we have to offer fills one or more of their needs, we discover the way to grab—and keep—their attention. After all, if we don’t get their attention we can’t expect them to read long enough to get our message.
Understanding the Need
Okay, sounds simple enough. But how do we get their attention? How do we figure out how to tune in to their needs—especially when we can’t or don’t want to know them personally? There’s the challenge. Think in terms of what you’d want if the same offer were made to you. Would you buy your own product or concept if the marketing material for it focused on how the manufacturer ultimately benefits by your purchase? No.
For instance, think of all those advertisements you hear and see that offer you a variety of insurance. What is the reason those insurance companies are in business? To make money. After all, if they didn’t make money on the products they sell they wouldn’t be in business! But will you and I purchase their products if they told us they designed this great new insurance just so they’d have something else to sell? No way!
We will, however, buy that product if they can show us how it fills a gap we are currently experiencing—or if they make us aware of a gap that may occur in our futures. They focus, ultimately, on the benefit to us as the reason they developed this new type of insurance . . . because they know the benefit to us is what gets us to buy.
What if you have to notify employees of a change in a policy that affects them? Maybe it’s not a policy change they’re going to like, such as a reduction in the amount of personal time they can take. How are you going to find a benefit to sell that situation? Seems tough, but the benefits are there. Let’s see if we can brainstorm a few.
Brainstorming the Benefits
To get at the benefit to your readers, begin thinking about the “why” of this policy change to begin with. Is it to save the company money by reducing lost employee work time? Let’s say the answer to this question is “yes.” In that case, what would be the downside or the consequence of the company leaving the personal time benefit as it is? Perhaps the current system is costing so much money that the company is considering laying off employees to reduce costs. If the personal time policy changed to reduce the amount of time available for employees to take at their own discretion, then when an employee did take time beyond the hours allowed they would be taken without pay. Therefore, the company would save money that would in the long run allow them to retain more employees.
In order to sell this policy change, the job becomes to convey this information to the employees so they understand the need to change the policy. Most resistance to change and most conflict arises from audiences not having enough information about the changes being imposed on them. Making them aware of the benefit to them of reducing personal time may help them to understand the policy change. Increasing their awareness, however, does not guarantee they will be happy with the change. But it does help us lay the groundwork for getting the change across while encountering least resistance.
Asking the Right Questions
When you begin writing your documents, consciously focusing on the benefit to the reader, ask yourself these questions:
• What is the benefit to the reader of reading this document or of doing what I’m asking?
• What is the consequence if they don’t?
Continue asking the consequence question until you dig down two or three layers into the topic to discover the truest consequence. Once the consequence is established, it’s easier to begin looking for the benefit of doing what you suggest. Consider the following scenario:
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had pl
The occasion of marriage for a South Indian bride is incomplete without a Kanchipuram saree in her trosseau. Among the wide range of silk sarees available in India, from the Benares silk saree to the Patola from Patan, the Kanchipuram saree holds a special position. The strength and magnificence of the Kanchipuram saree makes it one of the favourites among ladies all over the world.Now that the world has become a global village, Kanchipuram sarees are available the world over. However, the production of these beautiful sarees is still centred in Kanchipuram, a small town located on the Palar river in South India. Also called Kanchi, the town is renowned for its silk industry and its temples.The origin of the Kanchipuram saree dates back to centuries ago, when these sarees used to be woven in temples. Kanchipuram sarees, woven fro
For instance, think of all those advertisements you hear and see that offer you a variety of insurance. What is the reason those insurance companies are in business? To make money. After all, if they didn’t make money on the products they sell they wouldn’t be in business! But will you and I purchase their products if they told us they designed this great new insurance just so they’d have something else to sell? No way!
We will, however, buy that product if they can show us how it fills a gap we are currently experiencing—or if they make us aware of a gap that may occur in our futures. They focus, ultimately, on the benefit to us as the reason they developed this new type of insurance . . . because they know the benefit to us is what gets us to buy.
What if you have to notify employees of a change in a policy that affects them? Maybe it’s not a policy change they’re going to like, such as a reduction in the amount of personal time they can take. How are you going to find a benefit to sell that situation? Seems tough, but the benefits are there. Let’s see if we can brainstorm a few.
Brainstorming the Benefits
To get at the benefit to your readers, begin thinking about the “why” of this policy change to begin with. Is it to save the company money by reducing lost employee work time? Let’s say the answer to this question is “yes.” In that case, what would be the downside or the consequence of the company leaving the personal time benefit as it is? Perhaps the current system is costing so much money that the company is considering laying off employees to reduce costs. If the personal time policy changed to reduce the amount of time available for employees to take at their own discretion, then when an employee did take time beyond the hours allowed they would be taken without pay. Therefore, the company would save money that would in the long run allow them to retain more employees.
In order to sell this policy change, the job becomes to convey this information to the employees so they understand the need to change the policy. Most resistance to change and most conflict arises from audiences not having enough information about the changes being imposed on them. Making them aware of the benefit to them of reducing personal time may help them to understand the policy change. Increasing their awareness, however, does not guarantee they will be happy with the change. But it does help us lay the groundwork for getting the change across while encountering least resistance.
Asking the Right Questions
When you begin writing your documents, consciously focusing on the benefit to the reader, ask yourself these questions:
• What is the benefit to the reader of reading this document or of doing what I’m asking?
• What is the consequence if they don’t?
Continue asking the consequence question until you dig down two or three layers into the topic to discover the truest consequence. Once the consequence is established, it’s easier to begin looking for the benefit of doing what you suggest. Consider the following scenario:
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had pl
I attended a seminar the other day at a local trade show and one thing that they mentioned almost in passing that inspired me was the critical concept of “selling your successes”.Hmmm… “Sell your successes” – What could that mean?Simply put, when you walk the talk, talk the walk. Adjust your marketing and sales conversations and materials to reflect how your product or services helped someone achieve what they wanted.Now how do you do this? Well here are 3 techniques that when applied effectively can lower your marketing costs & energize your business.1. Let ‘Testimonials’ Pave the Way To best illustrate this technique, let me share with you a line that I use often that goes something like this: “If I tell you that I’m great at what I do, at best you’ll take it with a grain of salt, but if an unbiased th
Brainstorming the Benefits
To get at the benefit to your readers, begin thinking about the “why” of this policy change to begin with. Is it to save the company money by reducing lost employee work time? Let’s say the answer to this question is “yes.” In that case, what would be the downside or the consequence of the company leaving the personal time benefit as it is? Perhaps the current system is costing so much money that the company is considering laying off employees to reduce costs. If the personal time policy changed to reduce the amount of time available for employees to take at their own discretion, then when an employee did take time beyond the hours allowed they would be taken without pay. Therefore, the company would save money that would in the long run allow them to retain more employees.
In order to sell this policy change, the job becomes to convey this information to the employees so they understand the need to change the policy. Most resistance to change and most conflict arises from audiences not having enough information about the changes being imposed on them. Making them aware of the benefit to them of reducing personal time may help them to understand the policy change. Increasing their awareness, however, does not guarantee they will be happy with the change. But it does help us lay the groundwork for getting the change across while encountering least resistance.
Asking the Right Questions
When you begin writing your documents, consciously focusing on the benefit to the reader, ask yourself these questions:
• What is the benefit to the reader of reading this document or of doing what I’m asking?
• What is the consequence if they don’t?
Continue asking the consequence question until you dig down two or three layers into the topic to discover the truest consequence. Once the consequence is established, it’s easier to begin looking for the benefit of doing what you suggest. Consider the following scenario:
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had pl
When I stumbled across the company that I am with now, I didn’t know anything about multi level marketing. I was a business owner with twelve employees.One day a gentleman walked into my office wanting to know if he could speak to me and my employees about the discount dental benefits package he had to offer. After he talked about the benefits his company was offering, the subject came up about residual income or repeat income. I didn’t know about residual income, so he explained that every time I would sell the discount dental plan, I would receive a monthly residual for as long as the client kept the plan.Well, being a business man, I immediately saw the potential and the light bulb went on! I said to myself “I can do this.” His next question to me was “Do you want me to sign up your employees or would you rather…..needless to
Asking the Right Questions
When you begin writing your documents, consciously focusing on the benefit to the reader, ask yourself these questions:
• What is the benefit to the reader of reading this document or of doing what I’m asking?
• What is the consequence if they don’t?
Continue asking the consequence question until you dig down two or three layers into the topic to discover the truest consequence. Once the consequence is established, it’s easier to begin looking for the benefit of doing what you suggest. Consider the following scenario:
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had pl
Some of the best selling books on Amazon at the present time are The Secret, Results Rule, Instant Income, Marketing for Dummies and the list goes on. What that list indicates is that most people are looking for immediate marketing results. However, the magic answer --- there is no quick fix. It takes effort and commitment on your part to succeed.I have always professed that most business results are decided by this formula: Results = Time + Money + SkillWilling to spend more money? It may take less time and less skill. If you need a high degree of skill, you may hire a marketing firm for example and by doing it may take less time. But don't just attempt to throw money and resources at your marketing to get a faster result. Businesses would benefit from using a methodology that consists of basically three elements: 1. M
We’ve developed a homeowner’s insurance policy to cover roof repairs for our customers who live in the Northern Nevada desert. What is the benefit to them of this policy? The customer's roof will be repaired through insurance should it become damaged. Is that persuasive enough? I don’t think so. So let’s look at it from the consequences side.
Last year, 430 homes in the urban areas surrounding Reno were damaged by high winds. Of these 430 homes, only 23 were covered by policies that directly covered roof damage. The remaining 407 homes had no coverage. Consequently, their owners had to pay for their repairs out of pocket. Of these 407, 348 homeowners were unable to pay for the repairs without going into debt. The majority of them had to refinance their existing homes, take equity loans, or seek some other form of financing to make the repairs. This set them back in their goals toward reaching their retirement funding targets. It’s estimated that 80 percent of these homeowners will have to work beyond the point at which they had planned to retire in order to repay the debt for repairing their homes. Should they remain uncovered by insurance for this type of damage and a similar event occur, they will sink deeper into debt—when an affordable addendum policy was available to them prior to the first event.
Putting it into Words
If we wrote a document marketing this policy to our clients, telling them this entire scenario would be manipulative and cheap. Most of our savvy readers would know what we’re doing and quit reading long before they found any benefit to them.
Instead, we use this scenario to help us find the selling point in the scenario. The selling point is to buy the policy now so that their retirement income will be intact. Rather than running the risk of needing to take out a loan for home repairs, purchasing this policy will ensure that should the worst happen they will be covered and need only make a simple telephone call to speed help their way.
Wrapping it Up
Whether it’s an insurance policy, a change in employee policy, an attempt to enlist support for an upcoming corporate event, coaching an employee to modify behavior, or pulling together a team for a project, focusing on the benefit to the individuals involved will more often encourage and create cooperation where before only resistance existed. Find the specific and personal benefit to your readers, and focus the document around that point. This will ensure your document has a reader-focus because you are focusing on what’s important to them.
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