Liz Craig, Writer

In a previous post, I bemoaned the loss of the Ajax knight, Speedy Alka-Seltzer, and other personable brand symbols. These days, I lamented, we’re all too sophisticated to identify with such silly characters. But I was wrong. The Brawny paper towel man, a brand symbol since 1974, lives on, though he’s evolved over time.

Have you seen the new Brawny TV spot, or his image on the package lately? He looks like a gay teen’s dreamboat. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. For a funny take on this brand symbol’s evolution, see this blog post from 2004.

Wouldn’t you want your brand symbol to represent how strong and tough the product is? To me, a “brawny” guy reeks of testosterone, sweat and whiskey and is strong enough to uproot trees one-handed. “Brawny” this guy is not. Fer heaven’s sake, he’s wearing a white tee under his shirt that conceals any manly chest hair he might have! Women and gay teens protest!

Great balls of fire, this new TV spot is so lame I can hardly believe it. Take a look for yourself.

Did the Brawny brand people miss the boat on this one? Are gay teen boys really their target market? Or, as some have opined, do women who love the pictures on the covers of historical romance novels go for this type of clean-shaven, friendly, unthreatening hunk? IOW, a gay guy? The guys on those covers are brawny. And they have long, flowing locks, not the neat executive cut Mr. Brawny has.

And by the way, is the animation of him supposedly singing (ugh) as choppy as it looks to me? It’s like one of those foreign movies dubbed in English, where the lips and the words have nothing to do with each other.

Tell me, what do you think of the symbol and the advertising wisdom or idiocy of his look?

After writing on consumer packaged goods accounts at ad agencies for years, I think I understand the concept of “brand” pretty well. It’s more than a logo, it’s the promise a product stands for. What I have a harder time getting is how branding extends to your own person.

Marketers used to adopt spokespeople, animals or things to represent the fine qualities of their canned goods, frozen food, air conditioning units or what-have-you. Their product brand’s virtues. The Unique Selling Propositions.

• In consumer packaged goods, you had Mr. Clean, that handsome brute in white, representing the ultimate cleanliness you could achieve by using the product.

• Ajax laundry detergent was “stronger than dirt,” championed by a knight on a white horse as a jingle drilled the key phrase into our heads.

• The Jolly Green Giant was friendly, green and out standing in his field (sorry for the pun). He represented garden-fresh vegetables in cans or frozen. Ho ho ho!

• Poppin’ Fresh was a literal dough boy representing dough that popped out of a can when you rapped it on the edge of the counter. The name is ingenious — the unique selling proposition in two words — and the spokesdough unforgettable. But for me, the little guy was too cutesy, especially when he giggled. I wanted that finger that poked him in the tum-tum to poke all the way through. Am I the only one? I am? Okay.

• The Keebler elves are gently mischievous and fun. The adorable little cartoon people appeal to kids, who beg their parents to buy the cookies. But since the parents grew up with the elves, it’s not too hard a sale. That’s the power of a strong brand with an appealing image that remains consistent over time. A quality product doesn’t hurt, either.

The point of all this is, I understand conveying a product’s qualities via a brand symbol of some kind. What I don’t get very well is how to do this “personal branding” thing for myself.

What if I adopted a spokesthing to represent me? No, that’s so yesterday. R.I.P. Charlie the Tuna, Reddy Electric and Speedy Alka-Seltzer. Besides, what kind of animal or other creature would represent a writer? A mole who digs for just the right phrase? A brain whose frontal lobe lights up like a Christmas tree, to represent creative ideas sparking? A pen that flies? A computer with a thought bubble? Naah. To build a personal brand today, you use different tactics.

Oddly enough, a personal brand today is something you construct, not in person, but through social media. I just read an article about “7 Ways to Start Building Your Personal Brand for Free.” These suggestions sound helpful. But in the advertising or marketing business, at least, there’s no substitute for getting to know people. In person, not online.

Social media “personal branding” tactics can be a helpful part of your overall strategy. But it’s important also to get out and get to know people, either in networking groups, industry meetings or social settings. If the only close relationship you have is with your computer, that’s not good.

There’s an old sales formula that still is valid: people have to Know, Like and Trust you before they give you business. Just makes sense, doesn’t it?

Cruising around the Internets (that “series of tubes” the Alaskan ex-Senator mentioned), you see some pretty awful writing. People get confused by sound-alike words, as I’ve mentioned before — and probably will again. Like “there,” “their” and “they’re.” Thanks to Bill for the suggestion.

The mistake you often see is “there” where “their” should be. As in, “They picked up there socks and shoes.” There’s a sentence that stops you dead in your tracks. “Huh?” Maybe the writer meant “them-thar socks and shoes.” Maybe if the writer was Gabby Hayes. But no. The writer ought to say, “They went ‘there’ and picked up ‘their’ shoes.”

Memory trick: “Where” and “there” are spelled alike. “Where are they? Over there.” Not “over their.”

“Their” is a possessive, meaning something belongs to “them.” “There” is a location, e.g., “over there.” (BTW, “e.g.” stands for the Latin “exempli gratia.” It means “for example.” Don’t confuse it with “i.e.,” which means, “in other words.”)

Each of those words is obviously a single word. But “they’re” is actually two words disguised as one. Yup. “They’re” is a contraction of “they” and “are,” with the “a” replaced by an apostrophe. Other contractions are “it’s,” “aren’t, and won’t.” And that last word is a perfect example of the contrariness of the English language. If it were a normal contraction, it would be “willn’t,” wouldn’t it? But nooooo… It has to be “abby normal,” as Igor would say.

OK, let’s use ‘em all together now: “They’re going over there to get their deathray guns!” So let’s get out of here!

Do you write thank-you notes to your customers? Even if you’re sure they’re going to stay with you because they’ve ordered from you like clockwork every week or month forever? If you’re not showing them the love, you ought to, because it can multiply your customer list. Here’s how. In a personal experience that happened just today.

I order printer ink cartridges from LD Products. After researching prices online, I found theirs were the best around, so I’ve stuck with them for years, like bubble gum in hair. IOW, I’m an extremely loyal customer.

A lot of companies take my business for granted. They might send me notices about special deals (LD does that), but they might be too lazy or unconcerned about retaining my loyalty to ever write and say “thank you.” But LD did just that today. Here’s their e-mail copy:

Dear Liz Craig,

We’d like to take a moment to thank you for ordering your printing supplies from us, here at LD Products. Please know that our appreciation doesn’t end with your purchase. We are 100% committed to providing you with the best Customer Service possible. Should you need anything, whether you’d like assistance installing your cartridge or toner, or you just have a simple question — we would be absolutely delighted to hear from you.

For any product related calls, including installation please call our ink and toner specialists in customer service at 888.321.2552 for quick and friendly answers. For any other questions you can reach a live person by phone at 888.321.2552, Monday through Friday, 7AM – 6PM PST and Saturday 8am to 4pm

If you have a friend or colleague who would also benefit from our great prices, high quality ink then please let them know about our site, LD Products.

Send to a friend [LINK]

Thank you so much, and please feel free to contact us any time there is something we can help you with.

Sincerely,
LD Products Customer Service Team
888.321.2552
info@ldproducts.com

Isn’t that cool? It gave me a little warm feeling. Their punctuation wasn’t the best, but that’s not important. Their thank-you sounded sincere. Now, not only am I going to keep on buying from LD Products, but I’m also going to recommend that my friends do so, too. I want others to have the same good experience I’ve had with this company.

See the power of a thank-you? In this rushed, impersonal, gimme-gimme world, it’s nice to feel appreciated, even in an e-mail from a company you do business with, don’t you agree?

If you need thank-you notes, blog posts, e-newsletter copy, or any other kind of writing done to secure the undying loyalty of your customers or clients, give me a call. I’d be glad to help you show them the love that keeps them coming back for more.

Sock monkey and his friends take a fun-filled road trip from Las Vegas to NYC in a new Kia Sorento. Love the sock monkey riding a mechanical bull and getting a tatto sewn on. Music is by The Heavy, “How You LIke Me Now.” The spot’s humor drives home the selling message: Hey, you can cut loose and have a ball when you have a 2011 Kia Sorento! Imagine it targets older teens or early 20s, though almost anyone this side of 70 would enjoy the fun these toys are having.

Another 2011 Sorento ad features a family traveling through a forest mysteriously furnished with framed family photographs, furniture and fixtures. Tag line: “Feel at home wherever you go.” It’s okay but much more laid-back than the monkeyshines spot. Aimed at families with kids, apparently.

What about the sock monkey spot? How you like it now?

So it’s up to you to create compelling advertising for a product. All the information you have to go on is a list of product features in a brochure. It does this, it looks like this, it costs this much. Really basic stuff. But you want to get prospective customers excited enough about your product to buy it. Just describing its features the way Mr. Spock would — from intellectual observation — won’t do the trick. You have to find a benefit in the product that will show prospects they need, want or desire it.

So how do you turn features into benefits? By following the WIIFM method. “What’s in it for me?” is the first question the prospect will ask. And it’s the crucial question you must answer. A fact sheet for a banana might list features like “attractive yellow hue,” “soft texture,” “delicious flavor,” etc. But does that make you want to buy a banana? If you’ve never heard of it before? No. Only if it has a benefit for you. In selling, WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) applies to bananas and every other thing under the sun.

“What do I need a banana for?” your prospect asks.

You reply, “Well, bananas are delicious and handy to take on a trip, ’cause they have their own wrapper. They’re great for snacks or sliced on cereal. Each banana has only 100 calories and no fat. They provide the potassium you need every day to stay healthy. And they’re natural and unprocessed, with no food additives. Oh, and by the way, kids love ‘em.”

“Okay, sounds pretty good, but I’m looking for new menu ideas. Got any?”

“You can make fantastic banana nut bread with it, or ring a fruit salad with alternating slices of banana and kiwi, or — well, here — here’s our new banana cookery booklet, ‘Go Bananas With Bananas!’ There are literally hundreds of ways you can use bananas in salads and desserts!”

“All right — I’m sold!”

What’s the difference between a feature and a benefit? A feature is a “so what?”, while a benefit is the “what’s in it for me?”, the sizzle of the steak, the one thing that makes prospective customers sit up and take notice.

The old AIDA formula still holds:

• Attention

You must get the prospect’s attention so they’ll listen to your message. A great visual, a compelling headline, or on TV or radio, a curious sound (or silence)…

• Interest

You must tell him or her something that interests him or her in your product. Some way to use it to solve a problem, some way the product enhances their life, makes them look more attractive, saves them money…

• Desire

What would make your targeted prospect desire the product? (Better health, wealth, quality of life, convenience, deliciousness, fun?)

• Action

You’ve hit the prospect with the benefits that should appeal to them. If they have a need that your product can fill, then they may go out and buy it.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is, but often, advertisers present a list of features, thinking surely the prospect can figure out how the features are beneficial to them. It’s best not to count on their taking the time to connect the dots.

So as an advertiser creating a campaign, always ask, “What does my prospective customer need this (product or service) for?” If you can’t think of an answer, well… think harder.

I see notes on my calendar to “call xxxxx.” Yup. I see ‘em, all right. But somehow, I keep moving them from one day to another, one week to the next, and never calling people who might have freelance work for me. Particularly those I don’t know very well, or haven’t worked with before.

Problem is, I hate the phone. In fact, I fear it. Especially now that people have Caller ID. When I automatically get their voicemail, I don’t know if they’re really out of the office or just avoiding talking to me. Believe me, I don’t want to bother anybody who doesn’t want to talk to me.

All the small-business marketing gurus say you should call prospects. But I’ve been on the receiving end of those calls — one freelance writer kept calling me once a week, like clockwork, to inquire as to whether I had any work for him — and I did find it annoying. Me, a writer, have writing for you to do? Huh? Perhaps because of my aversion to bothering people, when I call someone I don’t know well, I get all tongue-tied, like a second-grader at “show and tell” time.

I know I need to work on my phone skills, but in the meantime, I’m thinking of starting an email list and sending out helpful info to clients and prospects every couple of weeks or so. These days, an email — just one of dozens competing for my attention every day — has to have a compelling title for me to open it. I’ll work on those compelling titles and offer value.

I am Value, see me fly… And I will try some phone calls (having pre-written a nice, brief phone script, so I don’t hem and haw) and see if I live through it. Aaaargh.

You’re a freelance creative looking for projects. You’ve been knocking on doors and calling prospects for months without snagging much work. What’s wrong? Is it the economy? The time of year? The weather? Are you talking to the wrong prospects? Is it your breath?

Maybe, but could it be the way you position yourself in your own mind that’s tripping you up? If so, making these three simple mental adjustments could improve your prospecting results.

1. Know What It Is You’re Really Selling

If you’re a freelance writer or designer, you’re obviously not just selling your ability to type or make pictures on your computer. But by calling yourself a “writer” or “designer,” maybe you’re selling yourself short. What your prospect really needs is someone who can help think through his or her business challenges and devise effective ways to meet them.

Make this mental adjustment: You’re not just a writer or designer. You’re a strategic thinker who can help your prospect win more business. Show results you’ve achieved for other clients, if you have them. If you’ve been spending most of your presentation time talking about yourself up until now, cut it short and start asking questions about what the prospect needs. Take notes. Follow up regularly (but not so often you bug the prospect), and share a good idea or two. Which brings us to the second mental adjustment.

2. Make It Your Mission to Help Others

People like people who help them unselfishly. So how can you help prospects? Let them know that your primary objective is helping them and their business. Maybe they don’t need your creative services at the moment. But you can still help, even if it’s by referring the prospect to a good chiropractor, veterinarian, business resource or fitness club.

“Shine the spotlight on the other person,” not on you. Send your prospects articles they may find helpful, and ask about their business and their family, if you are that well acquainted. Someday, when they realize they need creative, strategic thinking, you’ll be top of mind. By the way, helping others is a good idea in general, even if you don’t see how it will benefit you. Or especially then.

3. Ditch the Success/Failure Model

So you met with a prospect, and s/he seemed uninterested, kept looking at the clock, ended the meeting after 10 minutes and said no encouraging words. Do not beat yourself up for not having gotten new business at that meeting. Do not press the “FAIL” button.

We creatives are often overly sensitive. We tend to take things personally and interpret lack of enthusiasm as rejection. But please realize that the prospect’s behavior may have had nothing to do with you. Maybe s/he was eyeball-deep in work, carved out a few minutes for you, and then had to get back at it. Or perhaps there was a death or illness in the family. Or it could be s/he just didn’t need your wonderful work at the moment.

Timing is all-important. As Jethro Tull once said, “Life’s a long song.” There could be a time in the future when that prospect will need your services and will call you. Just keep in touch, try to help when appropriate, and bide your time. Be sure to ask if it’s okay if you check back in a few weeks or a month. And award yourself a gold “SUCCESS” star for being proactive and requesting the meeting.

• Summing Up

To improve your prospecting approach, adjust your mental attitude in these three ways:

• You’re not just a “Your Label Here.” You’re a strategic thinker who can help prospects meet their business challenges.

• Your mission is to help prospects in any way you can, whether what they need at the moment is related to your services or not.

• You never fail at prospecting unless you quit. Keep in touch, help when you can, and be patient. Your time may come.

After all, everybody knows how to type, right? And most people can put together a subject and a predicate, a noun and a verb. They can get their point across, if not so elegantly, using basic grammar. So who needs a writer?

I’d say everybody does. Well, being a writer, of course I’d say that. But truly, I believe anyone who’s in business, either as an entrepreneur or marketing maven of an established company, needs a writer. If not to write their brochure, ad or business letter, at least to cast an eagle eye over their copy and rid it of bad punctuation and spelling.

Simple proofreading is only the beginning of what a writer can do for business communicators, though.

• A writer can tell you if your copy needs to be broken up into smaller chunks, instead of being a solid column of gray. Confronted with an unbroken block of text, the reader’s eye balks and wanders away in search of white space.

• A writer can make “just okay” copy more intriquing. Zingier verbs and peppier adjectives pump up the interest level. And the right rhythm and arrangement of words can make paragraphs end with a bang, not a whimper.

• Writing is really thinking, expressed in words. Everybody knows how to think, too, right? But sometimes, people need a writer to help them organize those thoughts for greatest impact.

• Writing is also a craft. Like a woodworker who hones his skills in building fine furniture over years of training and practice, a writer sharpens his or her ability to communicate. S/he reads a lot. Studies good writing. Takes classes. Shares knowledge and techniques with other writers. Over time, a good writer becomes better and better at the craft.

• It’s hard to write about yourself or your business because you’re so close to it. A writer, an outsider with a 30,000-foot view, may see benefits your business offers that you hadn’t even thought of.

So –

If you are a brilliant business manager, restaurateur or plumber, you really know your stuff in your field. But you may not be a whiz at writing compelling sales or marketing copy about your business. There’s no shame in that. Let a writer tell your story — in a brochure, on a website, in a TV or radio commercial, on a billboard or via social media marketing.

Let a writer interview you about your business. Share your passion, your experience, your victory stories, your funny stories, your ups and downs. And from that interview, the writer will produce a communication that gets across all your best attributes, the value you offer, and the one powerful reason a client or customer should do business with you instead of the other guy or gal. Strong, focused communications help you build relationships with prospects and loyal clients or customers. And relationships build your business.

So who needs a writer? Maybe you?