ey have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her tar

The experts say you need benefit statements in all your marketing – on your website, on your brochures and flyers, in your 30-second introduction and in all types of advertising. This is true.

There could be so many benefit statements for your business, how do you choose?

Marketing is the process of communicating to people about your product or service so they can make a purchase if they perceive they want or need it. If they are not aware of it, don't know how to purchase it or don't perceive it fulfills a want or need, there can be no sale.

The key word in that paragraph is ‘perceive'. Your marketing, and therefore your benefit statements, should focus on the perception in the marketplace, not necessarily the actual benefit.

For example, in my business one of the greatest benefits many of my clients realize AFTER working with me is confidence. My clients' confidence in their business abilities sometimes skyrockets. So why don't I market based on this? Confidence is so important in business ownership. Prospective customers will often decide against making a purchase because they sense a lack of confidence in the seller.

When prospects are considering hiring me, they do not perceive that they have a confidence problem! Therefore, if I am marketing to my target market based on increasing their confidence, my marketing will fall flat. It will not connect with my target at all.

My target market comes to me mostly because they lack certain business knowledge or are overwhelmed by all the business stuff and need an advisor as well as a coach.

Here's another example. A couple is having love life issues in their relationship, and a couples therapist is looking for clients. The actual problem may be that the man is not saying anything remotely romantic, and the woman is too critical. They don't see it that way before they have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her targ

w how to purchase it or don't perceive it fulfills a want or need, there can be no sale.

The key word in that paragraph is ‘perceive'. Your marketing, and therefore your benefit statements, should focus on the perception in the marketplace, not necessarily the actual benefit.

For example, in my business one of the greatest benefits many of my clients realize AFTER working with me is confidence. My clients' confidence in their business abilities sometimes skyrockets. So why don't I market based on this? Confidence is so important in business ownership. Prospective customers will often decide against making a purchase because they sense a lack of confidence in the seller.

When prospects are considering hiring me, they do not perceive that they have a confidence problem! Therefore, if I am marketing to my target market based on increasing their confidence, my marketing will fall flat. It will not connect with my target at all.

My target market comes to me mostly because they lack certain business knowledge or are overwhelmed by all the business stuff and need an advisor as well as a coach.

Here's another example. A couple is having love life issues in their relationship, and a couples therapist is looking for clients. The actual problem may be that the man is not saying anything remotely romantic, and the woman is too critical. They don't see it that way before they have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her tar

kyrockets. So why don't I market based on this? Confidence is so important in business ownership. Prospective customers will often decide against making a purchase because they sense a lack of confidence in the seller.

When prospects are considering hiring me, they do not perceive that they have a confidence problem! Therefore, if I am marketing to my target market based on increasing their confidence, my marketing will fall flat. It will not connect with my target at all.

My target market comes to me mostly because they lack certain business knowledge or are overwhelmed by all the business stuff and need an advisor as well as a coach.

Here's another example. A couple is having love life issues in their relationship, and a couples therapist is looking for clients. The actual problem may be that the man is not saying anything remotely romantic, and the woman is too critical. They don't see it that way before they have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her tar

arget at all.

My target market comes to me mostly because they lack certain business knowledge or are overwhelmed by all the business stuff and need an advisor as well as a coach.

Here's another example. A couple is having love life issues in their relationship, and a couples therapist is looking for clients. The actual problem may be that the man is not saying anything remotely romantic, and the woman is too critical. They don't see it that way before they have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her tar

ey have gone through the therapy, so if the therapist markets herself based on men and women not communicating well, she won't get these clients.

If, on the other hand, the therapist markets herself based on improving couples' love lives, that will make an emotional connection and pique interest because that's the perceived benefit they need. The actual benefit they receive is improved communication, but using that benefit in her marketing will not entice her target market to call.

Here's your homework. List all of the benefits of doing business with you, then reexamine them to identify perceived vs. actual benefits by putting your feet in the shoes of your target market. Go get'em tigress!

Copyright (c) 2007 Audrey Burton