There is a concept in business that we marketers call the
confidence gap. The confidence gap is defined as a potential
customers inability to determine whether the products or
services of a given company are any better, different, or worse
than the competition?s.
The confidence gap exists in every imaginable industry and in
most cases the gap is growing wider all of the time.
Case in point: go to the yellow pages and look under the roofing
section (or any section for that matter) and see for yourself
if, plus or minus 10%, every ad says basically the same thing.
?Dependability, service, 80 years of experience?.blah, blah,
blah.?
Going by the yellow pages alone it?s almost impossible to tell
who will really offer the best service, the best overall value,
and exactly what you need as a customer. It would be helpful if
some ads said, ?We stink, we won?t deliver on our promises,
we?ll quote you one price and then charge you another,? but they
don?t. Every company good or bad is essentially saying the same
thing. As consumers we know that not all companies are equal ?
but how can we tell? Hence, the confidence gap.
But, this problem is not isolated to the yellow pages. Take any
medium ? TV, radio, print, or brochures and compare what
competitive companies are doing. You?ll see very quickly that
there is almost no significant differentiation. Oh, sure, one
company may have a red ad and another a blue ad. One company may
have a catchy jingle and the other may not, but it?s still hard
to tell which company is actually better or even which company
gives greater promise of being the best choice.
One area of marketing that is atrocious for most businesses is
their brochure. Most brochures are loaded with clich?s, worn out
phrases, and platitudes that don?t mean anything. Like
?dependability, quality, and service.? Any company on the planet
could make a claim like that and you would still have no clue if
there business was any good or not.
So what about your brochure? Does it make you the obvious choice
to do business with, or does it just widen the confidence gap?
Here is a quick 4-pronged test to give your brochure (or your
other advertising) to see if it has the potential of singling
your company out as THE go-to company.
1.Does your brochure clearly communicate your USP (Unique
Selling Proposition)? Most companies don?t have a clearly
defined USP. Your USP is what makes you different, better, and
unique from your competition. Here are a few famous examples:
?When it absolutely positively HAS to be there overnight.? Of
course your know that to be FedEx. The success of this Fortune
500 company was built largely on the strength of this USP that
they could absolutely deliver overnight. Here?s another one ?
?Hot pizza delivered fresh to your door in 30 minutes or less or
it?s FREE.? Dominoes pizza, right? You see how they didn?t claim
to be the best tasting, the cheapest (or the most expensive);
they were the fastest?guaranteed.
So what is your USP? Are you the fastest in your industry? Do
you offer a level of service and expertise that your competitors
can?t touch? Does your product do what other products can?t? If
so, SAY IT! And communicate it clearly. Your USP should be the
focal point for your brochure.
2.Are you showing or telling? I?m from Missouri the ?Show-me?
state. I guess we are a group of ?we?ll believe it when we see
it? types. But I don?t think this attitude is limited to
Missouri, every consumer everywhere would rather see that your
product or service will deliver rather than just hearing you
talk about it. So how can you effectively SHOW how your product
or service works in the confines of a brochure? There are
several ways: 1. Testimonials. Good ones show exactly how your
product or services have impacted a real person?s life. 2.
Charts, graphs, and comparison. If you can save people money
create an easy to read chart or graph that shows how much you?ll
save them. If you outperform the competition show that in a
comparison of some type. Show you product in use if possible.
Showing is always more powerful and more persuasive than telling?
3.Are you speaking the customer?s language or your own? Most
brochures read more like a brag report or like the CEO patting
him or herself on the back rather than offering valuable info to
the prospect. Your brochure should be focused on your customer
and his or her needs ? not just your company. Yes, you want to
show that you have won awards and what not, but you have to go
beyond just mentioning your accomplishments and show how you can
enrich your customer?s lives.
4.Are your speaking in specific or general terms? People are
leery of generalities, but more trusting of specifics. If you
say you will save people ?a ton of money? that is significantly
less powerful than saying that on average your customers save
25% or $100 when they start using your product or service. If
you say you are the fastest ? quantify how much faster you are
and tell your customer why it should be important to them.
Specifics are rich with meaning and are powerful?generalities
are worthless. Anyone can say that they are the best. Only a few
companies can give the proper specifics to prove it.
Here?s your assignment: take your brochure or ads and compare it
to your competition?s brochures or ads. Now, try to imagine what
your reaction would be if you had no previous knowledge of you
company, your competitor?s companies, or your industry. Would
any of the brochures cause you to say ?wow ? I would be a fool
not to do business with THAT company??
My guess is that none will even come close. If your brochure is
under performing then go to work on the four things mentioned
above.
Don?t let your brochure widen the confidence gap ? span that
gap. That?s where the money is?on the other side of the
confidence gap.
About the author:
Brett Curry is a Professional Marketing Consultant and Marketing
Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top
quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and
more at up to 70% off of retail. http://www.brochures.com
marketing@brochures.com This article may be reproduced provided
that the above bio is listed with the article.
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