Speak Like Your Customers
As I was tirelessly doing my “homework” (i.e., watching commercials) last week, I saw this humdinger for Febreze. It is so unreal, so unnatural that it gives me the heebie-jeebies. The premise is relatively simple: a mom discovers that her son’s room smells (what a surprise!) just like a teenage boy’s room. So, it’s time for Febreze to the rescue.If you have teenagers or haven’t erased those years from your memory, I guarantee you that boys do not get excited about cleaning their room. Further, after it’s clean, 2 beautiful babes do not automatically show up at the door saying, “gee, it smells nice in here” and are accompanied by said teenager saying, “ I like to keep things fresh. It helps me concentrate.” Ugh! The visuals are even worse with the teenager enthusiastically cleaning and sniffing the rug!Great slice of life commercials must actually imitate life. If the teenager had music blaring from his I-Pod while texting and responded to his mom by rolling his eyes or saying “whatever”, now that would have smelled of reality! He then could have been bribed to clean his room with Febreze (perhaps with a $20 Apple I-Tunes Card – great strategic partnership ideas here) and his homework friends could have said, “yeah, it’s cool.” What’s the hot lesson here? You must speak like your customers! Even in business to business marketing, you must keep It real. You think I’m kidding? Read below for examples I’ve heard professionals say talk about their businesses:
- “We make movable office furniture panels.” – he means cubicles!
- “We help prevent the S1N1 flu” – the swine flu!
- “We are a physician-based practice” – a group of docs!
- “We are a financial institution that uses financial instruments to….” – a bank that sells investments!
Sizzling Example: My all-time favorite line from a commercial is Verizon: “Can you hear me now?” Why? Because every single one of us has asked this phrase to a caller on the other end! It’s real and it’s true.Your job? Start speaking like your customers.Have questions? Fire away!Until next week…..LizBranding speaker and expert Liz Goodgold has over 25 years of experience working for clients such as Quaker Oats, Times Mirror, and Arco Oil as well as with small business owners and start-up. Her specialized, one-on-one branding and coaching programs spark new ideas that deliver sure-fire results. To find out how Liz can help you, contact her at liz@redfirebranding.com. Liz is also the author of RED FIRE BRANDING: Create a Hot Personal Brand and Have Customers for Life and DUH! Marketing.