Why your customers aren't paying attention

Let me guess. You’re probably doing a couple of other things while you're reading this, right?

Uh, hello? Are you listening?

Marketing's first and biggest challenge is getting the attention of potential customers. These days that job is harder than ever, because people are paying less attention than ever. They're doing other things-- consuming other media-- at the same time.

100 million adult Internet users in the US watched TV while they were online last year, according to a new report. Nearly 90 million listened to the radio while online, and more than 50 million browsed magazines while browsing the Web.

"Media multitasking… has a profound impact on (our) ability to absorb and remember content and advertising messages," says Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer, author of the report.

Gee, no kidding?

Look at your own life. Chances are, you wake up to a clock radio. Music plays while you check your voice mail. You snap on the TV while you read your email and return a few phone calls. An IM from a colleague arrives with an update about this morning's meeting. You drive to work listening to music, talking on the phone, maybe scanning the printout of the presentation you're making today. Sound familiar?

The bad news is, every other consumer is doing basically the same thing. All this multimedia multitasking, according to the report, has turned our "normal" 24-hour day into a staggering 43-hour day, crammed with more than 16 hours of distraction -- I mean interaction -- with media and technology. We're consuming more media than ever, and we're not dropping any. We're simultaneously juggling more and more.

This frantic pace can be exhausting, but pretty addictive, too. It can feel like a rocket ship. It can also delude us into thinking we're accomplishing more. But because we're only half paying attention, we often do our work in a sloppy, slapdash manner, and will have to re-do a lot of it later. But we don't think about that. We figure hey, it's good enough. So we pass it along and get busy with the next thing. Or maybe we click on that ad. Or shuffle to the next tune on our iPod.

"Assume that attention waxes and wanes during media usage," Williamson laments, "and that full engagement is no longer a realistic expectation."

But if we can no longer expect anyone's complete attention, how will we ever find a way to get our marketing messages across?

I don't pretend to have the answers, but I'd love to hear your opinion.

Does your writing need an editor?

Everyone know what a writer does. But what is editing? What does an editor actually do for (or to) your book, article, newsletter? Who needs an editor?

Everyone who writes needs their worked edited -- even famous journalists and novelists, says Dan Santow, a former magazine editor and now Edelman PR type. In his new blog, Word Wise, he shed some light on the mysterious subject of editing, including WHY we all need some:

"After all, it’s hard to look at your own work objectively, just as it’s hard to tell if those low-rise jeans look good on you."

An editor, Santow notes, is basically a dispassionate reader whose goal is to improve your work while leaving it essentially alone. "They’re not out to get you!" he adds reassuringly.

Editors not only correct things like grammar and spelling, but cast a detached professional eye on crucial elements like organization, flow and tone.

"(S/he) looks at the overall document and for ways to improve its style, content, structure and flow by, among other things:

• reorganizing information
• ensuring (or questioning) accuracy
• improving clarity
• enhancing readability."

Of course the best editing, Santow concludes, "is a collaboration between writer and editor that results in a document of which both are equally proud."

If you write, or you’re attempting to write, or you'd like to improve your writing, his blog and especially this post, are definitely worth a look. After all, as Dan points out, bloggers may be the last unedited writers around!

The secret of spreading "sticky" ideas

When you have an important idea, how do you communicate it in a way that has impact, a way that "sticks?" Guy Kawasaki recently interviewed Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

The book reveals the six principles that characterize sticky ideas. They're almost always some combination of Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and have a Story (“SUCCES”).

That's it? Gee, that sounds pretty simple.

But if it's so easy to make ideas sticky, why aren't there more brilliant ideas? Heath's answer underscores the importance of effective copywriting in marketing communications:

"People tend to think that having a great idea is enough, and they think the communication part will come naturally. We are in deep denial about the difficulty of getting a thought out of our own heads and into the heads of others." (emphasis mine)

The trick, of course, is to craft a simple message that expresses the core of your big idea. Something that's catchy and viral, easy to remember, easy to repeat. Hmmm, this doesn't sound so simple anymore.

One problem, the authors explain, is the Curse of Knowledge. Our in-depth knowledge of our own narrow specialty has turned us all into lousy communicators:

"Think of a lawyer who can’t give you a straight, comprehensible answer to a legal question. His vast knowledge and experience renders him unable to fathom how little you know. So when he talks to you, he talks in abstractions that you can’t follow. And we’re all like the lawyer in our own domain of expertise."

In other words, most of us know too much and are too close to our own ideas to be able to express them clearly to outsiders. That's why it's often wise to work with a professional writer, someone who can express your complex ideas in simple ways, in language that resonates with their intended audience. You depend on the services of a good copywriter for the same reason your primary care physician refers you to a specialist, or your accountant sends you to a tax attorney. A communications specialist can do the job more quickly and more effectively than you can.

Made to Stick is so eye-opening, it can feel like a lightning strike. It can make you feel a little queasy when you take another look at your brochures, white papers, sales letters. As Guy put it:

"If you read this book, you’ll revamp a lot of your marketing material (as you probably should)."

Business books attract clients: example #2

Yesterday I wrote about the many benefits of writing a business book: credibility, visibility, even a tiny taste of celebrity.

A recent article in Manage Smarter agrees. It mentions, among others, a mortgage broker whose self-published book has attracted a steady stream of customers -- and millions of dollars in revenues.

Also mentioned is presentation skills coach Susan Berkley, who self-published Speak to Influence: How to Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Voice. She's sold 14,000 copies of her $14.99 book, but the article points out the real green comes from follow-up sales:

"Susan invites her book buyers to sign up for her free e-zine through her Web site. In the e-zine, Susan offers subscriptions to her monthly paid newsletter, and promotes her products, teleseminars and consulting/coaching services. The revenue from these additional services and products is many times higher than anything she has received from publishing her book."

As I mentioned in my previous post, you don't have to begin with a daunting project like a book. Start by writing articles or columns for trade publications in your field, even letters to the editor. Work with a copywriter or editor if you need help. Launch a blog and post articles demonstrating your expertise.

Collect your best advice in a tip sheet, either printed or as a pdf. Offer it to prospects as a freebie. Then, instead of chasing after new customers or clients, they come to you!

Questions? Comments? Please leave a comment.

Win clients with your own business book

It's the ultimate in information marketing: Write a business book that displays your expertise.

Sure, only a relative handful of authors like Jim Collins, Tom Peters and the Freakonomics guys write best-sellers that bring in megabucks. But that's no reason for you to abandon the idea. Book sales, after all, are only one way your business book can attract income.

The real payoff is attracting clients. Becoming an author immediately distinguishes you as an expert in your field, so it's a powerful and persuasive sales tool. Readers who like your book are predisposed to buy your other products, and to hire you for lucrative consulting engagements, speeches, workshops and the like. Your "expert" status as an author also translates into higher fees and more prominent, high-profile clients.

My client, Philip Verghis, has enjoyed that kind of success with his book. The Ultimate Customer Support Executive (Silicon Press), which I helped edit, offers a niche audience -- service executives -- specific help on a crucial topic: how to earn (and then demand) respect on behalf of customers.

Phil's successes at Akamai and Duke University forged his initial reputation and helped attract a publisher. While the book has been well received (the Association for Services Professionals called it "By far the most intelligent book on how to manage support organizations") and has sold well among its target market, the real payoff has been in attracting clients.

With his higher visibility and credibility, Phil's keynote speeches and workshops around the world are regularly filled with movers and shakers in his field, and his newsletter provides valuable advice and guidance to a broad cross-section of readers-- while also subtly promoting his book and workshops.

Phil told me becoming an author has triggered two interesting reactions. One, which he anticipated, was the extra boost a book gives your reputation among CEOs, CIOs and other top executives, as well as with international audiences.

The second reaction, he said, was more of a surprise. Call it the "celebrity factor." Or, as Phil described it, "the mini-pedestal people put you on, when they see the author of a book they read and carry around."

Hmmm... visibility, credibility and even a taste of celebrity. Not too shabby.

So what about you? Do you have in-depth experience? Proven success in your field? Do you have expert advice to offer, and a compelling story to tell? If so, you might consider writing a book. The benefits are obvious.

Not ready for an entire book? A monthly newsletter will give you a chance to demonstrate your know-how while raising your visibility among potential clients. And because it is distributed regularly, subscribers get frequent reminders of who you are and what you do.

Don't worry -- you don't have to do either of these projects by yourself. In fact, very few of the business books supposedly penned by CEOs were actually written by them. Most got help from an editor and/or ghostwriter like... uh, me.

Body language: business tool or manipulation?

Deciphering your customer's body language can offer important insights, according to a recent piece in Manage Smarter. It's also kind of fun. According to the article, here are some ways to read a person's physical cues:

• Nose or face scratch implies dislike.
• Head tilted to the side implies interest.
• Eye rub implies deceit.
• Hand or finger blocking the mouth implies lying.
• Thumb tucked under the chin with index finger pointing up on the cheek implies a critical attitude.
• Chin stroke implies making a decision.

But then the article goes on to discuss how to make the other person like you more, how to fool them into feeling more comfortable with you, so you can make the sale. Is it just me, or does that seem to cross the line from interpretation to manipulation?

For example, body language consultants and sales trainers always recommend you "mirror" your customer's gestures and enthusiasm. If he's quiet and introspective, you're supposed to act that way too. If she's enthusiastic and extroverted, do that. Pretending to be like them supposedly reinforces how similar the two of you are, and makes the prospect trust you -- at least long enough to write the check.

Here's my question: Is it just me, or does that sort of behavior seem phony and manipulative? Do you see it as a legitimate selling tool, or does it simply contribute to the epidemic of fakerey in the world? Doesn't the world have enough phony smiles and artificial friendliness? (Not to mention fake boobs, facelifts and nose jobs?)

What's wrong with being genuine? Be who you are. Be nice, but be genuine.

Let's take the idea a step further. If the client smokes cigars, does this mean you should ignore the health risks and fire up a stogie, just to be like him? If he likes to get plastered at strip clubs then drunk-drive his car back to work, should you do the same?

Besides, how do you keep track of who you're supposed to be today? Let's see, I'm calling on Carl this morning, so I need to act dignified and proper. After lunch, I have an appointment with wacky Jackie so I've got to be joking and smoking. Wouldn't the client or customer eventually notice -- and wouldn't that damage your image and credibility?

The more you pretend to be like different people, it seems to me, the farther you stray from your authentic self.

If you really must adopt someone else's demeanor, why not a professional's? Does your lawyer crack jokes in an attempt to make you like him? Does your doctor enter the examining room and mimic your posture and gestures? No -- she listens to your symptoms and complaints, asks pertinent questions, makes a diagnosis and recommends a course of action. That seems like the right behavior for a sales professional to mimic.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter. Please leave your comments below.

Voicemail dos and don'ts

Efficient and effective communication with clients and prospects is crucial. One place where many of us drop the ball is when leaving a voicemail. Seems simple, but many of us do it badly. And that's deadly because it may mean the person doesn't call you back promptly -- if at all.

Author and Yahoo! Finance columnist Jim Citrin recently offered some tips on how to leave the perfect voicemail message. Among his advice:

• Be brief
• Be specific. Confine your message to a specific topic.
  

And most important (to me at least)

• Leave your contact information slowly and clearly.

"This sounds painfully obvious," Citrin added, "but you'd be surprised by how many people rush through their phone number and email address so fast that you have to replay the message three times before you can understand them." (Grrrr, don't you hate that?)

I always (OK, I try to remember to) leave my name and number once at the very beginning of my message, then again twice (slowly) at the end. You may feel like an idiot saying it so s-l-o-w-l-y, but it might still be too fast for the busy person who's listening while driving, scrambling to find a pen and paper, or in a noisy office.

Repeating the number is especially important if you're calling to or from a cell phone, which is subject to frequent static and dropouts. By leaving it twice at the end, you'll often save them the trouble of listening to the message again.

Music marketing and free samples

Speaking of musicians using their unpaid promotional appearances as "free samples," here's an interesting aside about music marketing.

From the record companies' point of view, these unpaid appearances on television and radio programs are geared to promote the sale of their new CD. After all, the label gets to keep the bulk of the revenue from album sales. (A big chunk goes to the retailer, and a sliver goes to the artists, music publishers, etc.)

But the artists themselves are much more interested in plugging their upcoming live performances. Many fans don't realize it, but most artists (even huge acts like the Rolling Stones) earn the vast majority of their income (like 80-90%!) from their live gigs, not from the sale of CDs. (Unless they have their own label, of course, which many artists now do.)

That's why record labels are so freaked out about plunging CD sales -- and why they're absolutely rabid about "free" music downloads. Downloads bypass the record companies completely, cutting deep into their most important revenue stream: album sales. So it hits them right in the wallet. It's killing their bottom line, and no one has figured out a way to recapture that revenue.

From the artist's point of view, a CD could (almost) be considered a "sample." The artist's goal is to sell out their concerts, to "put fannies in the seats" as the saying goes. At $60-100+ per ticket, with the artists keeping a huge chunk of that revenue, it's easy to see why top acts can earn hundreds of millions of dollars in a single tour.

That's why most musicians are happy to get up at the crack of dawn to play a few tunes -- for free -- on Imus in the Morning or Today. Sure, they love to play. But it's really another chance to stir up interest in their live gigs, by giving away another "free sample."