Posts Tagged ‘audience’

@maurilio:

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The Art of Selling Creative Services

Selling new ideas can be tough. If you are a creative type, that’s even tougher. Usually people who need your services realize they need help but often don’t trust the young, creative professional because, by and large, creative people scare them. From the way you dress, to the language you use, all the way to your non-corporate haircut, you can make your potential client nervous. The sooner you realize this dynamic, the sooner you can overcome it. It happens to me quite often. I’m creative, opinionated, and Brazilian. I make a lot of people nervous. Here’s a simple strategy I use when dealing with those non-creative professionals. Understand where their pain is. What do they “think” they need from me? Sometimes what they need and their perception of the need are not the same. Regardless, you must always start from their perspective, no matter your assessment of the situation. Speak…

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Know Your Audience and Improvise: A Lesson from a Restaurant Server

Understanding your audience’s motivation is key in finding opportunities to reach them. That point was driven home a while back during dinner at J. Alexander’s in north Atlanta. Our server, Jimmy, did something I haven’t seen done much lately in a restaurant. He assessed the situation and improvised, getting our gratitude as well as up-selling us another course. As I looked at the description for the sea bass special, the words “puddle of brown butter sauce” got my attention. I told Jimmy I was trying to eat clean and if there were an alternative to my butter dilemma. Shortly after our exchange he asked if we wanted an appetizer. Since our options were fried, cheesy, or fried and cheesy, I declined. Thinking on his feet, literally, Jimmy asked, “What about our seared Ahi tuna appetizer?” Interestingly there was not an Ahi tuna appetizer on the menu. “It’s not there, but…

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Questions You Should Answer When Creating Your Marketing Plan

There is an audience for just about everything. Really.  Your job is to find yours. I was reading Smart Money magazine and ran across Bart Centre, a retired New Hampshire retail executive behind Eternal Earth-Bound Pets: The Next Best Thing to Pet Salvation in a Post Rapture World.” According to Mr. Centre, he has sold 263 pet-care contracts to Christians concerned about their dogs and kittens left behind in the upcoming rapture. For $135, clients can count on pet-rescue services provided by one of 46 atheists who are guaranteed to remain on earth after the Second Coming.  Yep. It’s for real. A good marketer’s job is to connect the product or message with the target audience. It’s simple, but not always easy. Before you put together your marketing strategy, ask yourself these questions: Who is my target audience? The more defined your audience, the easier it is to communicate your value proposition…

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Closing the Deal and the Audience of One

In a sales presentation, you need to know who the decision maker is. And if you’re going to succeed, you must get that right. I have been in situations where I have presented to a room filled with people but I also understood that ultimately, the decision maker would make that call by himself. In a room of 20 people the opinion of one trumped the 19. Had I not known it, I would have missed the mark on my presentation. Next time you need to make a compelling case for an idea, or a product, you must identify the decision-maker in the room. However, do not assume it’s the boss. The ultimate word sometimes comes from an influencer who might not be the highest ranking person in the meeting. I learned that as an young music director. While on paper I was “in charge” of the music program of…

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