Speaking to your Customer

Trade shows are a lot like bazaars.  They are full of mystery and interesting things.  And yet we leave after spending hours or days browsing and we feel like we have only just scratched the surface.   We know that there is more than meets the eye.  Potential opportunities or solutions are down every aisle and yet the aisle feels like a kaleidoscope of sights.  How can we see so much and yet know so little? 

After attending many trade shows (the marketing shows being the most ironic) I realize that most companies do not know how to attract qualified customers.  They put their names and logos on the booths.  Maybe they create pretty graphics and display samples of their work.  They know what message they are saying but they don’t realize how distorted the message is that prospects hear.  In reality the customer walking down the aisle is overwhelmed with the visual input and underwhelmed with the clarity of the information.  They are not seeing or hearing the message that will get them to stop.   Is it reasonable to expect people to stop at each booth to learn what they do and if it is even relevant to them?  Of course not! 

So what exactly is the problem?  We know our business too well!  A photograph that the business owner sees as convey an amazing capability, is usually meaningless to a prospect.  Words have different meanings and contexts.  It’s almost like the business owner and the prospect are talking in different languages.  At the very least they have different mind sets and that creates lost opportunities.  In today’s world we need to make sure that every qualified prospect sees a message that is meaningful to them.  If this is just marketing then why are so many companies missing the mark?  And for better or worse they don’t even realize it!  Do you fall into this?  Do you know companies who do?

Your marketing message needs to be an elevator pitch at a glance.  It will lead to prequalified people stopping and networking opportunities.  You will know that you have done it right when you get a person stopping who says: “I don’t need your service but I know somebody who does.  Can I have a brochure to give them?”

Do you have a favorite example of a company that is speaking to themselves?  How would you get them to see that their own expertise may be hindering their marketing message and costing them customers?