Tips & Talk 102 – Are You Doing This Backwards?
It makes sense that for most things in life it’s best if you start at the very beginning, except when it comes to one very important part of your business – the messaging you use to sell your products. In this case, you want to flip the script.
It’s the old features/benefit story. Describing your product in this way gives them all the specifics to choose and place an order. But they may not be interested in that just yet. Here’s what’s missing with this approach.
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Transcript
Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue and thanks for joining me for Tips and Talk
Speaker:Day. These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions
Speaker:and things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small
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Speaker:As Julie Andrews once said or sang,
Speaker:let's start at the very beginning,
Speaker:A very good place to start.
Speaker:When you read,
Speaker:you begin with A,
Speaker:B, C.
Speaker:When you sing,
Speaker:you begin with Do Ray Me the sound of music.
Speaker:Yes, it makes sense that you start at the very beginning
Speaker:except when it comes to one very important part of your
Speaker:business, the messaging you use to sell your products.
Speaker:In this case,
Speaker:you want to flip the script.
Speaker:Let's back up for a second.
Speaker:You spent hours planning the promotion for your newest product rollout.
Speaker:Your packaging is on brand.
Speaker:You're sure it's priced properly,
Speaker:covering all your costs,
Speaker:including margin,
Speaker:and you've confirmed it's in line with the market.
Speaker:You've taken amazing photos with lighting and angles just right.
Speaker:You have images with blurred backgrounds,
Speaker:clean single product shots and lifestyle images showing your product in
Speaker:use. The entire visual packet is ready to go,
Speaker:and you are so excited to get this out.
Speaker:For people to buy still,
Speaker:to be done before this can happen though,
Speaker:is the messaging behind your products.
Speaker:You've added keywords to your product titles and descriptions,
Speaker:so you're good to go there.
Speaker:But what about your promotional copy?
Speaker:This is where all the hard work you've put in could
Speaker:topple over when it comes to results.
Speaker:If you've ever launched a product expecting a huge response,
Speaker:but instead saw only a dribble of orders come in,
Speaker:it's possible that your messaging fell flat.
Speaker:It may be backwards.
Speaker:By this,
Speaker:I mean the words you're putting forth are all accurate and
Speaker:demonstrate what the product is with all its detail and even
Speaker:the center flavor variations.
Speaker:But it's not capturing attention and prompting action from your audience.
Speaker:It's the old features benefit story.
Speaker:Describing your product in this way gives them all the specifics,
Speaker:but they may not be at the point to be interested
Speaker:in that just yet.
Speaker:Instead of giving them all the product details,
Speaker:flip the script.
Speaker:Get their intention by telling them what's in it for them,
Speaker:how buying your product is going to make their life better.
Speaker:Help them visualize what it will be like to own your
Speaker:product, get their buy-in,
Speaker:and then explain the options that they can choose from.
Speaker:Have I confused you here?
Speaker:A great example to demonstrate my point are the weight loss
Speaker:commercials I know you've seen on tv,
Speaker:do they lead with how their program works or do they
Speaker:show you first what can happen for you if you use
Speaker:their system?
Speaker:Watch for it next time.
Speaker:They give you examples of others who show their weight loss
Speaker:success and they create situations you can see yourself in when
Speaker:you've had the same results.
Speaker:Being able to run around the yard with your children or
Speaker:grandchildren, fitting back into your favorite jeans you've held onto for
Speaker:years in hope this day would come.
Speaker:Possibly they're not in style anymore,
Speaker:but you don't know what I mean here,
Speaker:or losing weight and gaining the confidence and pride of how
Speaker:you now show up in the world because of your weight
Speaker:loss achievements.
Speaker:Only after all this do they talk about what's included in
Speaker:the program,
Speaker:like the number of meals you get or how it's not
Speaker:about calorie counting or whatever the program is.
Speaker:They get your attention by explaining what it will do for
Speaker:you first when the commercials are short.
Speaker:Those 15 second segments,
Speaker:they don't even go into the product specs at all.
Speaker:Just the results that you're gonna get from using the product.
Speaker:You can hear from some of your fellow makers about how
Speaker:they describe what their products do for customers in tips and
Speaker:talk episode number 98,
Speaker:but here are some examples.
Speaker:If you've not thought this through before,
Speaker:to get your mind going right away.
Speaker:I'm giving you ideas here.
Speaker:You can of course wordsmith this to make them your own
Speaker:or your results may be entirely different from what I say
Speaker:here, even if you sell a similar product,
Speaker:so again,
Speaker:by way of example,
Speaker:if you sell decorated cookies,
Speaker:you provide smiles for all sorts of events,
Speaker:or you create a special mom daughter moment sharing her favorite
Speaker:princess cookie or a special celebratory moment of a son's first
Speaker:home run with a baseball themed cookie.
Speaker:If you make jewelry,
Speaker:you help women expand on their wardrobe.
Speaker:Being able to use existing clothes for multiple occasions through just
Speaker:switching out the effects of bold accessories or your jewelry provides
Speaker:that extra spark of fashion that empowers you to show up
Speaker:as your most confident self.
Speaker:If you're a fine artist,
Speaker:you provide the way to personalize a room with the addition
Speaker:of one special painting that will invoke emotion and memories and
Speaker:likely be passed down the generations.
Speaker:Obviously, there are many angles you can take with your products,
Speaker:but I think you get the idea here.
Speaker:You're showing what the future could be for your customer when
Speaker:they own your product.
Speaker:It may be something that provides a moment in time like
Speaker:candles, cakes,
Speaker:and lotions,
Speaker:or they could hold their impact for years.
Speaker:As with jewelry,
Speaker:pottery, and art,
Speaker:what you create can evoke emotions,
Speaker:provide health benefits,
Speaker:guide inner peace,
Speaker:or demonstrate caring and friendship.
Speaker:If it's a gift,
Speaker:the next time you're at the point of writing promotional copy,
Speaker:I hope you remember this message.
Speaker:Flip the script,
Speaker:start backwards first.
Speaker:Talk about the effect your product will have on your customer,
Speaker:and only after you do that,
Speaker:then get into the specifics.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl,
Speaker:and this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn.
Speaker:Go out and fulfill that dream of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.