Two Questions You Must Ask Before Crafting Your Marketing Message

Developing a persuasive message is the most difficult job a marketer must tackle. It requires having the courage and objectivity to see yourself and your customers real.

For the moment, forget about who you aspire to be and consider who you are being today. Likewise, relying on your own interpretation of the customer’s felt need is not enough. Hitting the bulls-eye requires digging down deep and getting to know your customer’s true motivation to buy.

To help you along in this process, here are two questions to consider when crafting your marketing message:

1.) What is the felt need of my customer?

Start by uncovering those questions customers ask most often about your business, products or services. These frequently asked questions will also clue you in on any uncertainty customers might have about buying from you.

But don’t grapple with this question all on your own. Tap into the knowledge and experience of your front-line employees. Staff members in direct, daily contact with your customers will likely provide an eye-opening perspective and move you imminently closer to uncovering your customer’s felt need.

2.) Am I willing and able to meet this need?

Begin by listing the resources at your disposal. Also, consider your non-negotiable standards – those values that your business stands for, or against.

Now, let’s look at an example. From a strategic standpoint, evaluate the following advertisement:

“We Treat Emergencies Like…Emergencies The ER at Community Health Partners promises treatment will begin in 30 minutes or less.”

On the surface, promising to treat patients within 30 minutes might seem like a solid strategy. This message appeals to the universal anxiety and dislike of waiting in an emergency room lobby. And obviously, speed of care is critical with any medical emergency.

But speed doesn’t necessarily translate into quality medical treatment. Above all else, restoration of health is every patient’s primary concern – even if medical treatment requires more time. (Hey, I certainly wouldn’t want someone rushing with my medical care.)

Yes, I realize this seems like a minor detail. But you’ve got to be precise when identifying your customer’s felt need. Missing the mark by just a smidge can cause disconnect and doubt. And one can’t help but wonder if Community Health Partners will be able to deliver on its bold promise. (Look past for the moment that its promise is an unsubstantiated claim.)

By nature, emergencies are unpredictable. What happens when the hospital’s emergency room is flooded with patients? Will Community Health Partners compromise on patient care to maintain its pledge? Or will it shuffle you to an exam room only to have you sit there and wait?

Promising treatment time raises more questions than answers. And I mention these questions simply to demonstrate the thoughts running through every patient’s mind.

A better strategy would be to give examples detailing how the hospital is streamlining its patient registration and discharge process, thereby allowing physicians to spend more time caring for patients. This would allow Community Health Partners to communicate speed and quality of care, which speaks to the customer’s true felt need.

Yes, developing a persuasive marketing message is challenging, detailed work. But gaining clarity with your abilities and your customer’s needs will help you to develop a marketing message that will be the foundation for a convincing, long-term ad campaign.

P.S. Don’t forget to get free, instant access to my report, The Seven Most Common Credibility Killers in Marketing AND Credibility Improvement Checklist when you sign up for the MarketingBeyondAdvertising.com Newsletter on the right-hand side bar.