We created our company website and it's not driving a lot of leads and sales. It doesn't connect with our customers, nor does it give a story of how what we do helps them.
Does it sound familiar?
If yes, stay with me.
Buckle up. Everyone goes through this.
Table Of Contents
It doesn't matter if you call yourself a small business owner, an entrepreneur, an independent consultant, a coach, a startup founder, or something else.
The scenario is nearly identical for every first-time business owner under the sun:
Scene One You create a website on your own or you hire someone to do it for you at the cheapest possible rate. The point is simply to "have a website". You have neither the money nor the time to make that website too sophisticated. We've all been there.
Scene Two You "launch" your website and get traffic only to find out that something is getting in the way of sales. That's when you realize: "Our website doesn't connect with our customers!". And you feel stuck.
Why is it happening?
Mainly because 9/10 times small businesses or entrepreneurs jump onto the product offer: "Here buy this! It's awesome because it does this and that!"
Do you know what this is like?
It's like those people on Tinder who start the conversation with a… photo of their private parts. Or, a “cute” pick-up line:
Yep. Dating and sales have a lot in common. I mean, A WHOLE FREAKIN' LOT!
Pickup artists and skilled salesmen know they have a very low chance to, umm… score if they start with the “offer”.
That's why the pro pick-up artist doesn't ask for sex right away. Instead, he follows a very simple principle:
After all, everyone's favorite subject is themselves.
― Neil Strauss, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
To connect with your target customer, to grab their attention and keep their interest, you have to think like a pickup artist. You have to talk about your client's favorite subject—themselves.
And you are only allowed to talk about your product or service in terms of how it helps them achieve what they want and get what they need.
“Great, Gerry, that’s like the 10-bazilion-th post about that. Now tell me exactly HOW to do that…”
Sure, read on!
3 tips to help you pick up connect with your target customer like a pro
…And begin to talk about your product or service from their point of view.
Tip #1: Learn to speak their language
Get crystal clear on who you’re targeting and learn their language.
Why?
Because people buy from people and brands they can relate to. One of the goals of your copy is to resonate with your target customer or client, attract them and repel everyone else.
Let’s see how it works.
Take a look at this Marlboro ad. You can tell who it's for, right?
But the man who could relate to the photo in that ad and bought Marlboros was definitely NOT the man who bought Chesterfields:
I’m pretty sure the Marlboro guy would NEVER use grease.
Marlboros aren’t for everyone. Chesterfields aren’t for everyone.
That's the effect you're looking for with your images, as well as with your copy. Make your marketing content super-specific to one audience.
Don't fall for the "our ideal customer is everyone" trap. It will cost you money.
How to learn their language?
Plunge into the most popular Internet forum where they hang out. Read carefully any pre-sales correspondence you have. Read the blogs they read. Read the magazines they read. Listen to the podcasts they listen to.
Make notes and save the most interesting phrases in a text document.
Use them in your copy.
Yes, I do mean "use the phrases you saved in your copy"… I mean it in a very literal way.
Tip #2: Start with Why
The ads I showed you above don't start with Why. It’s because smoking was so deeply ingrained in the 50s culture that people didn't need to be convinced they should smoke. Cigarettes were (and I believe still are) a commodity product.
But digital services and products are NOT commodities.
When you’re marketing something that isn’t a commodity, your ideal customer is in a “problem-aware” state. They recognize the problem but they haven’t been taught to recognize the solution immediately.
That’s why, to connect with the digital products and services buyer, you have to remind them WHY they need what you’re selling.
The reason WHY they hire you or buy from you is their biggest pain point.
If that's news to you, write it down somewhere because it's virtually the basis of all your marketing. 🙂
If you don't start with the pain point, if you don't remind people of that painful problem you're solving for them, they won't pay attention and they won't believe your sales pitches. You copy won’t resonate.
And they will leave.
Let me illustrate this point
I’ll use a product which, also, isn’t a commodity.
The other day I watched a TV ad that started with "Do you want to lower your chances of getting wrinkles?"
I listened… You can't blame me, I'm a lady.
The ad was about a collagen supplement which I later bought.
I do have some vague idea that my body needs collagen so that I don't get wrinkles BUT if they had started with their supplement, with WHAT they're selling, I wouldn't have listened.
They started with WHY and I listened.
Tip #3: Promise them what they want and need
Look around this website. What do you see?
"conversions… conversions… leads… sales… leads…"
I'm not trying to teach you how to write copy because you don't really care about that, do you?
I'm talking about copywriting from the perspective of the results YOU are after.
How do you think I know what results you want?
Frankly, I wish my answer was "I have psychic superpowers" because that would've made things 10x easier.
Alas, I was only endowed with is the ability to do research.
If I hadn't done my due diligence, I'd be talking about the wrong things in the wrong context. And you wouldn't be reading this far. We wouldn't connect in any way.
That's why I always find out what the target customer wants and needs before putting down a single word of copy for me or for my clients.
If you're your own copywriter, I encourage you to do the same.
How to find out what your ideal client wants and needs?
Mine popular forums, review sites, your email correspondence with them. Notice what they’re trying to achieve with products and services like yours, e.g. get more leads, sales, conversions in my case.
Use this info for your value prop.
A value prop can’t be we-focused and tool-focused (e.g. “We sell collagen supplements”). It’s supposed to be benefit-focused (e.g. “Get wrinkle-free glowing skin today”).
Takeaways
There are 3 core things to do to connect with your audience:
- Learn their language. This will make your copy resonate and will attract them.
- Find out their biggest pain point(s) and always start with that. It's their WHY. It's what will make them pay attention.
- Find out what results they want and need and hook your sales pitches, blog posts, emails, etc., on that.
To do all this, learn to mine internet forums, blogs, emails, magazines like a pro.
Sign up for the free training below if you want to develop this skill. (Or waste your time trying to figure it out on your own, if you prefer. :))
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