Is Your Marketing Strategy Worthy of a Toy Box or an Organized Shelf?

Printed 5/28/07
Asheville Citizen Times

There are many components of a good marketing plan: words that accurately describe your products and services, an eye catching logo, quality print materials, a well defined position statement… to name a few.  Then there is getting your message in front of possible customers, through networking, print media, and ad campaigns. Arguably the most crucial is having a memorable way to tell others what you can do for them. 

How does one share this information in a way that is clear, accurate and unforgettable?

Have you met a lot of people at a networking event only to realize that you can't remember whom you met or what they offered?  It may be your declining memory, but more likely it's because they did not tell you about their business in a captivating way  that set themselves apart so you could categorize the information. 

Let's consider two methods of storage in a child's play room: 1) the specially arranged toy shelves where everything has its place and 2) the large, cavernous toy box.

Storing toys on open shelves allows children to see what is available for play and where they have to go to retrieve the precise toy that they want.  Blocks have there own cubby, art supplies are stored together in a specific place, and dress-up clothes are in another.  Everything is ready to be played with and then replaced when the play is over. 

Contrast this with the large, hollow toy box where toys are simply dumped when they are not being used.  This is not a problem until the child wants a specific item and then does not know where it is. Or worse yet, the child forgets entirely that they have certain toys. 

The same thing happens in the human mind (to some degree.)  If we don't know where to put something, some specific hook or shelf in which to place new information, it often gets places in a mental toy box…ofttimes never to be retrieved again.

If I am making the effort to network and market my business, I definitely want to present my message in a memorable way.  Or better yet, unforgettable.    

So how do you do that?  You get specific.  And specific combined with clever is even better.  And then, brief and concise so it fits on a shelf. 

If I described myself simply as a coach or a speaker, I risk being forgotten and thrown into the mental toy box.  But if I state that I "help people break out of old mindsets" I'm doing better.  I can go further and state that as a coach "I specialize in working with Solopreneurs who want to build a bridge from there passion to profits" then I'm even more specific.  Consequently, I might even get stored on a mental shelf!

Here is another example: "I'm a photographer" gets lost because it's too ordinary.  "I'm a photographer and I specialize in capturing children's spirit on film" is specific, more focused …photographer and children… yet brief.  You're probably destined for a shelf. 

It's another simple concept that's not always so easy realized.  If you are struggling with this one, hire a marketing professional.  Believe me, I tried to find a way to bypass this step and I only succeeded in losing valuable time and energy.  

Remember a confused or a disinterested mind always says "No" and then throws you in the toy box.  Be memorable and clear and maybe you to can be "top shelf."