When I was a kid, one of my favorite TV shows was "Married with Children."
Ever Sunday night, my dad, my brother and I would plop down on the couch and watch the Bundy clan go through their white trash ballet. It was TV for the rest of us-the folks who didn't fit the Cosby mold and who couldn't even fathom why those "Family Ties" were so damned strong.
"Married" was smart in its utter idiocy. And Ed O'Neil, as washed up football player and shoe salesman Al Bundy, taught me more about the sales game than any five books on the subject.
Because you see, Al Bundy was a *bad* salesman. He hectored his customers, insulted them to their faces and got horrible shivers every time he had to help a less-than-svelte lady try on a new pair of pumps.
But Al still managed to keep his family in ramen noodles and beer.
Why?
Because Al Bundy Sold *Women's* Shoes.
And because Al Bundy knew what 90% of marketers out there don't know. Al Bundy knew that he was *not* his target market.
And odds are, neither are you.
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"But *I* Don't Like That. "
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Good copy-and good marketing in general-is ego-less.
Now
Minnesota Twins Hats Tennis Accessories_3670, I'm not saying you personally have to be some sort of detached zen master.
But when you're putting together your marketing, writing up your sales letter or preparing an email blast (or even if you're paying someone to do it for you), you've got to remember that what you personally like and what you'd personally respond to is about as important as what color socks Neil Armstrong wore on the moon.
Because you are not your target market any more than Al Bundy was an overweight woman in the Chicago burbs.
"But Chris, I'm not a washed-up 40-year-old ex-high-school-football star selling women's shoes
Circa Hats! I'm a yogi selling yoga stuff! I'm a hip 30 year old massage therapist selling to hip 30 year olds! I'm a tech executive selling to technology companies! I AM My target market! Aren't I?"
Eh. You'd think so, wouldn't you? But even if you fit the demographic (and demographics aren't worth much in my opinion) or psychographic profile of your target to a key, you still aren't them.
Why?
Because you know too much. You know too much about the product. You know too much about all the hard work you've done building your business.
And because as a business owner or a marketer your ego is right there in the middle of your head second guessing every decision you make and encouraging you to put out marketing materials that you think *should* work as opposed to what *does* work. And when you've got that kind of attitude rolling around in your head-when you let your ego drive the bus-you're heading for a time-consuming and costly business breakdown.
So here's your prescription:
Next time you're planning a campaign, writing a marketing piece or just looking over a design or some copy an outside vendor put together for, I want you to close your eyes right there at your desk, take a deep meditative breath and say "Al Bundy Sold Women's Shoes." Repeat it to yourself over and over like a mantra. Let it sink in deep.
Then think about your actual target market. Paint a picture of them in your head. Get it sharp, from the way they stand, to the worries bouncing around their brains to that little scar on their left cheek.
And then-and only then, after your ego has been sent to its room without any supper-can you get to work.
To engage the recipient's interest in your email marketing campaign you can employ one of the following techniques: (a) state a powerful benefit - "xxxxxxx Satisfies Your Need for xxx" (b) pique curiosity - "xxxxxxxx Has Uncovered the Secrets of Success" (c) write your subject line with a news angle - "xxxxxxxx Launches xxxxxxxx For Those Who Want to xxxxxxxxxxx Fast!" (d) offer Immediate Gratification - "With xxxxxxxxxxx, you can start xxxxxxxxxx before the sun goes down tonight"The subject line of your email must be relevant to the body of the message. If you want to annoy people and ensure they never open another email from your marketing campaign, pick an important sounding subject line - eg "Urgent - Re Your Account" for an email that has nothing to do with any account held by the recipient. People do not like to be misled or tricked and will not forgive you if they think you are trying to fool them. Using an irrelevant title to get someone to open an email is tantamount to lying to them.
People will remember this behaviour and might even block all future emails from you. Words such as ": time-sensitive, only 3 days left, powerful, offer about to expire, exclusive, limited, secret" are known to attract attention but should only be used in appropriate circumstances, ie when they relate to the contents of the email.Create an email marketing campaign subject line that doesn't look like hype. This has to be the hardest one of all as it is subjective. What looks like hype to one person will look like a reasonable proposition to another. A perfectly genuine statement will be suspected hype to an overly cynical person. The first thing to do is to avoid anything that you personally think looks like hype. Ask yourself if it would convince you if it turned up in your mailbox or if you would immediately hit the delete button - if you can't even convince yourself, you will be causing a similar reaction in other people.
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