If you live in a small town like mine on the Connecticut coast, you will spend the 4th of July watching fireworks, along with everyone else in town. Why is it that people love fireworks?

Fireworks grab attention with a dazzling display of color and lots of noise. Unlike the sparkers you can hold in your hand, the sound and size of fireworks can't be ignored. Imagine if your marketing was as effective at getting people's attention!

Diane was starting a new business coaching service and came to me looking for marketing fireworks. She knew that she needed a marketing message, one that described what she did and would get her prospects' attention. Her dilemma was that she works with clients to solve numerous types of problems and instead of having one marketing message, she had a laundry list of them.

Solving lots of problems is good, but when you are trying to communicate what you do, it's the equivalent of a handful of sparklers as compared to having one large attention-getting display.

In order to grab prospects' attention Diane dispensed with her laundry list of messages and replaced it with one umbrella marketing message. Here's how to get started on your own marketing message.

1. List the concerns of your target market relative to your services. This should generate a list of 10-30 problems you solve.

2. Organize your list in order of importance to clients. What is your clients' primary concern?

3. Use the most important client concern on your list as the basis for your marketing message. If you don't have a summary sentence, then write one.

In our town when a particularly spectacular firework goes off, the audience oohs and ahhs. You may not get oohs and ahhs from your marketing message but you do want it to prompt prospects to action.

When you use your marketing message, fireworks or at least a spark should ignite in your prospects' minds when they make the connection between their needs and your services. If your marketing message has done its job, people will ask you how you do what you do or contact you for more information.

With a brilliant marketing message you'll grab your prospects' attention, increase opportunities and see your sales explode.

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2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.





The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Frëe Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business', full of practical marketing tips.

ccook@marketingforsuccess.com