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What's In It For Me?
What Your Target Audience Really Wants to Know

It may seem paradoxical that the way to promote yourself or an idea to someone is to focus on the other person, but that's exactly how it works.

Your first task is to get that person to listen to you, and that means you have to get their attention. People aren't inclined to listen to others who brag about themselves, share their problems, or constantly talk about themselves and what they need.

All the time I hear people of every age, educational background, and professional status commit the cardinal sin of marketing--talking solely about themselves in hopes of convincing the lucky listener to do something for them. They say things such as:

"I really need this job."
"We want your business."
"I would really appreciate it if you would help me out and buy this or do this."
"We'll do anything to make you our customer."
"This is a good organization; you need to join."

What is the other person thinking when he/she hears this? "I don't care." Or, "It's not my problem."

This type of talk is certainly not productive from a marketing standpoint because it doesn't engage the attention of the person you're marketing to. In fact, it does quite the opposite--it turns them off. Best friends, close associates, husbands, wives, and Mom may be the exceptions, but even they need a little marketing sometimes to be motivated to listen, agree, or act in the way you'd like them to.

Hands down, you'll be more successful with them and everyone else--prospective employers, managers, dates, associates, everybody--if you follow the cardinal rule of marketing which is to answer the question your target audience wants to know: What's in it for me? Why should I choose you, pay you, trust you, listen to you, or do whatever else you're asking me to do? To be an effective marketer, you must put your message in terms that matter to your target audience and that means looking at things from their perspective.

Research tells us that the average person is exposed to over 400 solicitations to buy per day! Add to that all of other things people are always asking us to do--take a survey, mail something in, call, try for 30 days, whatever. We're bombarded with people begging for our attention, our energy, and our time, which we all know are already scarce, overcommitted, and overextended.

So when everyone else is dishing out the standard "me" story, you can stand out, get noticed and get results by talking to your target audience in a way that they will listen and pay attention to.

A few tips to make sure you're answering, "What's in it for me?" for your target audience:

1. Know what matters to them. What do they want or need in this situation? If you don't know, ask and then really listen. Do some research. You must know or at least consider the answer to be able to operate from a marketing advantage.

2. Answer the question yourself of "what's in it for them?" Why should they consider hiring you? Agree to meet with you? Join your organization? Purchase your product or contribute their money to your cause? Why should they agree to your request?

3. Get specific about what you can do to help them meet their needs or wants. Saying, I'll be a great employee" doesn't really communicate anything, especially when every other candidate is saying the same thing or something similar. Stand out by being specific. Say instead, "I understand that accuracy and timeliness are very important to you, so you'll be glad to know that I can type 75 words per minute and I am very accurate, so you can feel confident that your correspondence will be done well and quickly."

4. Use the most important word in marketing--you. Turn "I" and "we" statements into "you" statements.

EXAMPLES:

Instead of saying:
I really need this job.

Say:
With my good typing skills, you can be confident that your documents will be done accurately and quickly.

Instead of saying:
We want your business.

Say:
If speed is important to you, you are going to love this machine because it can cut your current production time in half.

Instead of saying:
This is a good organization; you need to join.

Say:
This organization gives you so many opportunities to network and promote your business. It could really serve you to be a member.

Instead of saying:
I would really appreciate it if you would help me out and buy this.

Say:
These cookies taste so creamy and so delicious. Your family will love you for bringing these home. Plus, your local third graders will be so very grateful to you for helping them attend this important event.

Instead of saying:
We'll do anything to make you our customer.

Say:
We're committed to making this relationship work for you. We have a lot to offer, but what's most important to make this work well for you?

Remember, always think and communicate from your target audience's perspective and communicate in terms of what matters to them. Don't sound like everybody else by only talking about yourself. Talk about them. You'll build far better relationships and you'll stand out!

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