Greetings, fellow home service sales & marketing nerds! 🤓
You may recall that last month I promised we’d talk about greed as a lever in this month’s newsletter. Well, we’re not doing that. 😁
The topic doesn’t sound particularly exciting to me right now, so I’m going to write about something else.
It’s my newsletter and I can do what I want.
Instead, I want to talk to you about change. And I don’t mean the kind where you miraculously swish a jumper and your rec league buddy gives you the basketball back so you can try again.
I’m talking about the concept of change, as it relates to sales and marketing.
Because marketing, in it’s simplest form, is change work.
Potential buyers are always seeking a change…
- in their circumstances (“i wish I had more time freedom…”)
- in their environment (“my home looks dirty and that makes me uncomfortable…”)
- in their status (“i’m embarrassed by all of the weeds in my lawn- it makes me look lazy.”)
- in how they feel- physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually (“I have too much to do around the house, at work, with my kids…I’m overwhelmed.)
Effective marketing ALWAYS speaks to the CHANGE the audience is seeking to achieve.
Here are some examples of this concept at work.
Younger audiences tend to seek change away from the status quo and into a more desirable future state. For home services related messaging, that might look a bit like this:
“Sick of wasting your precious free time dealing with crappy contractors? There’s a smarter way.
Call us to get…
a free, customized quote within 24 hours
the job completed to a level that exceeds your expectations
in less than a week
So that…
You can move on with your life, totally satisfied.
All of the above, 100% Guaranteed from the Acme Home Improvement Co.”
Do you see how “change” is the fulcrum of this offer? The audience has likely had bad experiences in the past- poor communication, slow response times, and subpar results. The “change” is away from that typical experience to something refreshing, convenient, and risk-free.
Let’s flip the script to older audiences. They tend to seek stability and continuity- in other words, a “change” BACK to what they used to have.
That messaging might look like this:
“Don’t you miss the days when contractors actually took pride in their work? When they took the time to do it right?
Remember when you used to be able to do deals on a handshake and feel good about it?
Well, those days don’t have to be gone. In fact, those principles are at the core of how Acme Home Improvements does business today.
Here’s our commitment to you:
- A customized “no fine print” quote that we stand behind 100%
- Work performed by true professionals who love their craft
- We’ll treat your home like it’s the White House
- On time, on budget, and to your expectations, plus 1%
The Acme team does business the way you do- with honesty and integrity. So let’s “shake hands” and get to work.”
The “change” is different here. It’s a throwback to a previous state or experience that the audience misses and wants back. They aren’t satisfied with the current landscape, and seek a return to the “good ol’ days.”
Our messaging gives them that.
So your mission is to deeply consider your audience-
❓ What do they want that they don’t have?
❓ What condition are they seeking to change?
❓ What change are they seeking to acquire, experience, or avoid?
The better you understand this concept, the better your messaging will be.
See y’all next month, DiD’ers!
P.S. If you are currently working with an agency who’s crafting your message (writing your ads, writing your website copy, writing your blog and social posts, etc)…review their work through the lens of what you learn from the DiD newsletter.
It’s YOUR job to hold them accountable for their work. If you find the quality lacking, tell them so. Better yet- tell them to subscribe to this newsletter…there’s a good chance they need it.
P.S.S. P.S. If you know someone who you think would enjoy the Dollars Into Deals newsletter, send them here to sign up. That would make me happy. 🙏
