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Five Questions to Create a Compelling Offer
Back in 2007, my infant son was fighting naps and waking at all hours of the night. I was frustrated, exhausted and completely lost about what to do. Holding my crying child and desperate for some distraction from my seemingly hopeless situation, I glanced at my computer and saw an email that would change our lives.
Infant Can’t Sleep? Get Help Today from the Baby Sleep Coach System*.
While the timing couldn’t have been more spot on, there was more to it than that. This marketing campaign targeted me as a mom with an infant who was just at the right age for sleep issues. The headline and entire email spoke to my unique challenges in a way that drew me in and offered a viable solution. There were testimonials and successes. It won me over and I purchased the e-book on the spot for $30. It was the best $30 I ever spent and I’ve recommended it to many sleep-deprived parents since.
No doubt, you’ve experienced something similar: you see a promotional piece that attracts your attention because it understands your challenges, pulls you in with a solution that speaks to what you need, details the value with testimonials and proven results, and inspires you to take action.
Pure marketing magic.
Effective marketing programs start with the basics. The marketer sending me the Baby Sleep Coach System email was clear on the offer, understood the audience that would find value in it, and communicated the value in a way that resonated.
Sound difficult? Not really. Yet, it’s frighteningly common for this level of diligence to be glossed over in favor of getting to market faster. Less thought, more speed. Unfortunately less thought also equates to less focus, less creativity, less quality, less differentiation, less…
You can see what I’m getting at.
Before you spend a dollar on your next B2B marketing campaign, ask yourself these five questions and get clear on the basics:
1. What specifically is being promoted?
Whether it’s a product, service, solution offering or even an idea, it’s important to be clear. If you aren’t clear, your target audience won’t be either. What will the prospect buy from you resulting from this promotion? Is there a process that happens before the actual purchase? If yes, be clear on the process when you write your offer.
2. Who is it being promoted to?
Why is this audience your target for the promotion? Question the rationale of the target audience and justify your decision. Make sure to consider the buying process when you determine your audience.
3. Why does it matter?
Why is what you are promoting important to your target audience? Why should they care? How is it different than the competition? Again, get specific. Proof points, statistics, and customer testimonials help you nail down the value.
4. What are the buyer’s priorities?
Think about the target prospects and what challenges they face on a daily basis. Consider their level in the company and where they are at in their career. Factor in information that can help to better understand their motivators.
Building a buyer persona that includes professional, as well as select personal profiling information, is a great way to begin this understanding process. From there you can start to think about your offer not only in terms of product or solution features, but also in terms of how your offer can be crafted to address the needs/challenges of your prospect on a deeper level. Remember, every business buyer has personal motivators in addition to their professional motivators. See how you can factor the ‘life benefits’ of your offer into your message.
5. What problem does it solve for your prospect?
When your product, solution or service solves a specific, existing problem for your prospect and your message is crafted that way, you accomplish two fantastic goals: 1) you help your offer resonate with the buyer instantly; and 2) you become relevant–dramatically increasing the likelihood of response, as well as recognition and referrals going forward.
*Not the actual product name.
