Have Something Good To Say

If you don't get this right, you can just forget about everything else...your advertising will fail miserably if you don't have something good to say. The great business philosopher Jim Rohn probably summed it up best in his lecture about communications. He was talking about personal communications, not about advertising, but I think the principle holds true. He says to be a master communicator, all you've got to do is follow this three-step process: First, have something good to say. Second, say it well. And third, say it often.

In terms of advertising, here's what that means: Having something good to say means that you've innovated your business sufficiently so that you've got something of value to the marketplace that's worth advertising in the first place. Saying it well has to do with taking what you well and saying it in your advertising in such a way that it gets people to notice and take action. We're going to show you how to use the power of writing and articulating to get more results for the same money spent - say it well. And as for saying it often, that refers to executing your advertising and follow-up marketing in a systematic format that allows you to build brand equity and cost-effectively turn prospects into customers.

So before we get into the how to say it well, let's spend just a few minutes talking about the first step to successful communication: "Have something good to say." Some people don't expect that they have to actually innovate their business to be successful. But so far, in my years of experience, it's been the best strategy that I've seen. You've probably heard the old saying that if you build a better mousetrap that the world won't necessarily beat a path to your door. That may be true; but here's a strategy that I've seen fail a thousand times: Trying to use catchy advertising, tricky words or fast-talking to try and sell the same old, boring mousetrap that everyone else is offering. I think whoever said that line about the mousetrap and the world not beating a path to your door just didn't understand the principles that govern successful marketing and advertising.

See, once you have created something that people want - or as the common expression goes, sells itself - then advertising becomes infinitely easier. There's a man named Rossier Reeves who was one of the most successful advertising men in the early days of the business. I know you probably haven't heard of him, but you're probably familiar with lots of things he created, even way back in the 50s and 60s; he most famous for M&M's - "They melt in you mouth, not in your hands." Anyway, Mr. Reeves pointed this out, "Have something good to say," way back in 1965: Here's what he said about writing good advertising:

"The business owner should bring the advertising writer a product or service that deserves to be on the market. It should have significant points of difference from other products. Then the idea behind the advertisement...is very, very easy to find. For example, if a manufacturer brings you car that can go 500 miles on a gallon of gas, you don't have to look very far for an idea for the ad. The idea is right in front of you. If on the other hand, you have an Edsel that's not very different from any other car, you are doomed to failure in advance. I don't believe any advertising brilliance could have saved the Edsel."

In case you're not familiar, the Edsel was the greatest embarrassment to the Ford Motor Company in the 50s. They spent record amounts of money promoting it, hyped it to the ends of the earth, then nobody wanted it. Why? Because, despite what the promotion said, it was just another average, ordinary car. Here's the point: Spending money on marketing, advertising, and the greatest of copywriters of the day didn't compensate for the lack of confidence or lack of perceived value in the consumer's mind.

So think about it right now. Do you have "something good to say?" Are there things that you do that make you a better value for the money than your competitors? If not, then why is it that you expect to win in business? If I trotted out the local high school varsity football team to play against the reigning Super Bowl champs, would you expect the varsity to win. Of course not. You've got to create something so unique, so good, so unparalleled that it makes your prospects say, "I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else."

Rich Harshaw is the founder of the Monopolize Your Marketplace system and CEO of Y2Marketing Business Marketing Strategies

---

GoogSpy: Business Counter Intelligence for Everyone

So, you want to know what your competitors are up... Read More

Attract Your Dream Customer

Have you clearly defined your target audience? These are the... Read More

Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition or USP

Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition"Don't tell them what you do.... Read More

Target Marketing - What Are You Aiming For?

Is Advertising Viable?At the turn of the 20th century, department... Read More

Consider Consumer Psychology

In your marketing efforts, be they on or offline, it's... Read More

If My Work is Good Enough

"If My Work is Good Enough, I Shouldn't Have to... Read More

Marketing On The Cheap: Become a Joiner

Recently I wrote an article on the benefits of joining... Read More

Writing A Marketing Strategy

It is my belief that if anyone is to suceed... Read More

Private Practice Marketing: 3 More Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started

1) Create systemsCreate systems for everything you do, especially those... Read More

Marketing Tips 101 - Where Can I Get Clients From?

The following tips have come from a wide variety of... Read More

Overview on Qualitative Data Collection Techniques in International Marketing Research

This article is meant to be a brief review and... Read More

21 Ways To Expand Your Subscriber List

Expanding your subscriber list, whether it be for your ezine,... Read More

Turbocharge New Sales with a Marketing Database

What is the most valuable asset your company owns? Inventory?... Read More

Mail Can Make You Money

Are you still waiting for business to turn around before... Read More

Making the Intangible Real

How do you make the intangible real? How do you... Read More

Dear Friend: Dont Start Your Non-For-Profit Fundraising Letters As A Stranger

Dear Friend:Don't do it.Don't start your fundraising letters with "Dear... Read More

The 3 Unknown Steps of Marketing Success

To be your own marketing expert you first need to... Read More

Sales and Marketing: Can One Exist Without the Other?

Simply put the marketing people and the sales people depend... Read More

Five Most Common Mistaken Beliefs About Joint Venture Marketing

Apart from being the fastest, easiest, and most profitable strategy... Read More

How to Write Irresistible Promotional Pieces that Attract More and Better Clients

Whether you're creating a sales letter, a brochure, a newsletter,... Read More

Future of Marketing Part 2

In Part 1, I discussed how traditional marketing is no... Read More

Design Does Matter

The idea that good design can improve how people perceive... Read More

Effective Marketing for Small Businesses

Effective marketing for the small business begins with market researchIf... Read More

Direct Marketing Puts Information In The Buyer?s Hands

Direct marketing is advertising from a manufacturer or front-end supplier... Read More

Misrepresentation - Through Silence!

We're back to the subject of ethics, more specifically, business... Read More

How to Conduct a Successful Fax Marketing Campaign

1. Focus your fax marketing on one objectiveFax is a... Read More

Have You Tried Cause Marketing?

To help promote your small business or professional practice, consider... Read More

Trigger Button Marketing

Sometimes, experiencing bleak sales is a matter of failing to... Read More

Advertising Your Private Practice: Beware of the Problems-Part 1

One of the biggest mistakes coaches, counselors and other healing... Read More

My Product is Obviously Better ? Why isn?t it Selling?

The movie, "Field of Dreams" opens with a farmer standing... Read More

Financial Services Marketing Insights: A Marketing Compass

What we now call "marketing" began long before the name... Read More

How To Create Urgency So People Buy Now

..products or services now. They may not revisit your web... Read More

Mobile Marketing a New Age Strategy

More and more companies seem to be looking for new... Read More