This is something that I have struggled with for a very long time, even as a marketer, promoting stuff, I often struggled with understanding the most important word in marketing and also the most important word in life.
It is no longer about me
I have been reviewing website designs and content for the past couple of weeks, trying to figure out what to throw up on our upcoming Bulletproof InfoTech website that is due for an official launch any time. Writing web content is a tough challenge even for a well seasoned marketing person like me. I am no expert, I am just a guy who loves doing what I do, however this challenge has been hard for me.
In my casual surfing around various peer websites, others in different industries and friends sites from across the world, one message is becoming very clear to me. And I mean this to many of my peers as well, your website is all about me, look how great we are, here is what we do, look at us, we are awesome.
Frances meet Stuart – for a brief 2 minute chat
I believe that everything in life happens at the right time for a reason and that God only gives us enough for us to handle in the future and in the present. Back in September I attended the “art of the sale” with Jeffrey Gitomer and others. One of the speakers was a lovely, vibrant young lady (who signed my book) named Frances Cole Jones, you can read about her book “How to Wow” on any book seller website. She was so gracious to sign my book that I just started reading this week – everything happens in life for a reason at the right time.
Back to the topic at hand, so I have all these wonderfully designed websites, but as a potential client, I am saying so what? Why do I care that you were a Top 40 under 40 Stuart? Who cares that your business won an impact award in 2008? What does that mean for my business and why should I care? Who cares that you have a help desk at Bulletproof that covers Red Deer and Calgary?
Rene Sloos, my colleague at Bulletproof adjusted me into the right position as well, and now I am growing on it. A couple of great people are helping me.
You see your clients, partners, prospects don’t care about YOUR BUSINESS, (they do but not in the same way as you do) they care about theirs, they care about themselves, they care that if they make a decision at the office that they will not get fired. Why do you think IBM and other industry leaders in technology are chosen? Why do you think DELL does so well? No one has been fired for choosing the industry recognized name, however they stand a chance of being fired for choosing your business and it goes wrong.
What is the magic word?
The magic word, and thanks to Rene and Frances for pointing this out is, ready, drum roll please…..
YOU
This is what I am trying to do in all of writing now, whether it is on your website, proposals, sales literature, follow up emails or whatever Bulletproof or myself send out, it is all about YOU and no longer about me or us. It is going to be a tough one to change a mindset like this, because humans are naturally programed to be about me.
Go through your website today and how much of it is about ME…I think you will be shocked.
Ulistic focuses on serving the needs of Canadian Small Business, REALTORS, and Information Technology firms across Canada and United States. Helping your business understand, deploy and leverage social media, search engine optimization and online communications to generate business opportunities and make an impact inside your community and industry.
Extremely insightful. Thank you Stuart.
You are absolutely right. When we can shift this thinking and instead ask… How can I help YOU? Instead of how can you help me it creates an entirely different experience. Not easy to do though after all the training we’ve done on trying to convince people how great our businesses are so they will work with us.
I’m going to review all my materials now and so Thank YOU Stuart for this Blog.