Or “How to CREATE a GREAT REASON For CHANGE”

Marketing will not change people’s habits, actions or behaviour by just being interesting and without good reason. Reason for change in the mind of your audience comes from completely what’s in it for them, personally and in 3 seconds flat.

Are you finding reasons to buy based on existing pain or emotional connection first? Are these problems they face everyday, the ones that grate on their soul while demonstrating how easy it is to swap without creating impact anywhere else?

Email marketing is at its most effective when just selling the next step, not the third or final one, the next logical step. One step and one simple decision at a time showing the gain, reversing risk, removing fear and delivering emotional benefit without mentioning change.

Most companies will not stand a chance creating change for generic reasons, unspecific or grouped problems and just making it look pretty.

If a step out of the norm requires a leap of faith without an amazing reason, forget about it.

“A 1000 songs in your pocket” is an amazing reason.

If the next step is for them to pick up the phone, click on a link or walk into a store to make that change, then its time to face down your biggest enemy when it comes to change, which has nothing to do with:

• Having a smashing social media strategy

• Putting together a smashing video that makes your hair look fantastic

• A lovely foyer or attractive staff

The enemy is INERTIA, otherwise known as doing nothing, staying put or “it’ll be alright”…

This is because CHANGE SUCKS.

Nobody likes it, everybody wants it but even the smallest change in habit, and especially behaviour creates mild or even severe pain in the minds of your prospective buyers.

We want the outcome change brings without discomfort and CHANGE Is RISKY!

Our reptile-based survival mechanism, meant for a more savage world, kicks in and starts talking us down from decisions with “OK, it looks good but what if…”:

• “It doesn’t work”

• “It makes me look bad?”

• “I do this and it stops me from doing that?”

• “No one will like it and they’ll stop liking me?”

• “Will I get fired if I do this?”

Strangely enough one of the most convincing reasons to change is change itself.

Change in the world itself, and the fear that it will leave our personal world behind.

Or as the elephant in the room, actively avoided through fear of change, so relevant to them but connected to their situation as if it was life support.

How do you PROVE change is the only option for them, and make action the only next step?

• That it’s REAL: using real data, third party support to outline the drivers for change so its clearly visible in there everyday life once its been highlighted

• That it’s RELEVANT: demonstrate change is inevitable, how its connected to them and why its emotionally, financially and logically urgent

• That it’s ESSENTIAL: prove the risk of inaction is greater than the risk of action, this is more important than the other two put together

If you succeed in this – selling begins at the request of the customer.

This is why we create real email marketing messages that matter.

Spending time understanding your customers drive, fears and pressure points is what gives your customers A REASON TO ACT.

Go review your marketing messages and content, do they know your customers well enough to establish a real emotional connection for change or do they just add more crackle to the noise?

Are you following old habits or industry bad practice in email marketing because “that’s how it’s always been done”?

Worse still do you fear sending messages not wanting to appear “salesy” as you falsely believe the business has little to say or no value to offer? If this is the case is the sale truly in their best interest?

If they are on your list, they should already be sold on your value, if you don’t want to sell to your list then it’s likely you don’t value what you are selling.

Isn’t it time you did things differently, even use some of the insight you ALWAYS gather but never use?

This is a lot more like selling than marketing, and what serves your business and your customers best?

Like I said, change is hard, but made easier when friends help with the heavy lifting… 

PS. We love feedback, good and bad so your comments are ALWAYS welcome, so let us have it below…