Tell Me a Story About Me

Published on this site: November 2nd, 2006 - See more articles from this month

Marketers know that a story is a good way to engage prospects. But too often the marketer wants to tell a self-serving story about the company instead of about how the company helps the prospect or customer.

Chest-thumping puffery does not sell. Tell me about how you can make me more money, save me some time, provide me work/life balance and I'm listening and more likely to ring the register. Otherwise, save your time and money because I just tuned out.

Do you know why people buy your product? I often do customer interview projects for clients to help them uncover the reasons people buy from them. This is the best way that I have found.

But Author Geoff Ayling's book Rapid Response Advertising provides an excellent list of 51 reasons why people buy.

Let's review a few and maybe you'll see some that resonate with you:

1. To make more money
   
2. To save money – this is the most important reason to 14% of the population
   
3. To attract praise
   
4. To increase enjoyment
   
5. To possess things of beauty
   
6. To avoid criticism
   
7. To make their work easier
   
8. To speed up their work
   
9. To keep up with the Joneses
   
10. To feel opulent
    
11. To look younger
    
12. To become more efficient
    
13. To buy friendship
    
14. To avoid effort
    
15. To escape or avoid pain
    
16. To communicate better
    
17. To be in style
    
18. To avoid trouble
    
19. To protect their family
    
20. To express love
    

Harry Hoover - is managing principal of Hoover ink PR -
http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 30 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Bank of Commerce, The Bray Law Firm, Brent Dees Financial Planning, Focus Four, Levolor, New World Mortgage, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, and Verbatim.