Sometimes things are too good to be true — maybe there’s an opportunity
I received an offer in the mail a while ago that looked great! Maybe too great. That’s the problem, it’s too good be true. Where’s the small print? I know somewhere in here there’s a catch. Why do I feel this way? Am I jaded? Blockbuster once announced a no late fees offer that included [...]
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Welcome Webkick!
With is post, I’m pleased and excited to announce Webkick! Webkick is a long time coming — here’s the background: A few years ago a client was bemoaning their web presence — their website didn’t look right, they weren’t satisfied with the way they nurtured prospects, they felt invisible on the web, and they didn’t [...]
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Core Story: How advantages fit into the benefit discussion
Advantages are often confused with benefits in marketing and sales communication — mucking-up a core story. As salespeople, we too often tout advantages as the reason to buy from us — a big mistake. Advantages are the things you can do (advantage) with the things we do (features). People rarely, if ever, buy advantages. But [...]
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Core Story Example: Lead Generation Letter
One of the common questions about core stories is how they are used in sales and marketing campaigns. This post will provide an example. ======= I don’t define a core story as an end, such as a presentation, white paper or case study. Rather, a core story is a way of positioning your company and [...]
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Core Story: An example of a company with the wrong message
Leaving the post office not long ago, I picked-up a flyer from a local business — a party and event company that supplies everything for a celebration including balloons, tents, lighting, and catering services. How do I know this? It says so on their one page flyer. Their flyer lists service-by-service the things they do: [...]
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Core Story Whiteboard
The image above is a pic I took of my whiteboard yesterday following a conversation with a colleague — we were discussing core stories and their affect on marketing and sales efforts. The board holds the notes I wrote while sharing my thoughts. The thing to highlight is your core story sits at the center [...]
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Core Story: 12 common reasons to believe
Reason to believe is a huge part of a compelling core story, it’s the reason a prospect feels secure becoming a customer. Reason to believe is a form of proof the benefit you offer is real and the price is justified. And while there are a lot of things that serve as reasons to believe, [...]
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Core Story: Meaningful difference makes a big difference
Difference empowers your core story because it makes it uniquely yours. It ties the things you do directly to the benefit your customer purchases. It starts the process of creating an orange to compare to the apples your competitors offer. Difference is part of the compelling reason to talk to you about the benefit(s) you [...]
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Core Story: How features and functionality create reason to believe
Features and functionality have a key role in your core story, but you have to position them to realize their selling power. And there’s a cautionary piece when talking about them that can jeopardize your sales process. The danger is discussing features and functionality before you’ve established a benefit. If not positioned, your customer will [...]
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Trust me
Isn’t trust the foundation of every relationship? Think about it. For every relationship we value — spouse, friend, family — trust is at the core. We trust they will support us and act in our interest. We trust they’ll take care of us and be there when we need them most. When we trust someone, [...]
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