Wizard Wisdom

All kinds of great insight, compiled by Craig Arthur in Australia:

Dear Scott, If your business was a car, marketing would be the accelerator. If you want your business to continue moving forward, you must keep your foot on the pedal. In this issue: 4 Things Never to Do When Writing Ads Cost Cutting...Should it be an Ongoing Process or an Event? How Well Does Your Business Rate on the Customer Visual Checklist? 4 Things Never to Do When Writing Ads by Roy H. Williams (Edited from original) First the Conclusion: Each of us lives in a private world alone, trapped by our own opinions, limited by our own attitudes, guided by our own experiences. Sometimes I wonder how we’re able to relate to each other at all. And yet we create ads under the assumption that customers are all alike. When writing ads: 1. Never assume that other people think like you do. You’ve got to be willing to see your own opinions as those of an irrelevant freak. 2. Never assume that other people make decisions using the same criteria you use. EXAMPLE: A product comes in two sizes. A ten-ounce package costs a dollar. A forty-ounce package costs two dollars. Half the people will buy the ten-ounce package because it’s cheaper. The other half will buy the forty-ounce package because it’s cheaper. 3. Never assume your ad to be relevant to more than 10 percent of the people who encounter it. There is no such thing as the general public. 4. Never write to “everyone.” An ad written to an individual is always more effective than an ad written to a faceless mob. Now read the introduction. Cost Cutting... Keeping a check on expenses should be an ongoing process... not an event. When done as an event, it is normally a blood spilling exercise where staff, marketing and training are hit first and hit hard. These are the three areas of a business that have a direct impact on company moral and ultimately the customer experience. Short-term the bottom line looks good. Share holders are happy. However, it eventually causes a decline in sales. So out come the razors again and the downward spiral begins. "Whenever I read about some company undertaking a cost-cutting program, I know it's not a company that really knows what costs are all about. Spurts don't work in this area. The really good manager does not wake up in the morning and say, 'This is the day I'm going to cut costs, ' any more than he wakes up and decides to practice breathing." - Warren Buffett , the world's greatest investor. How Well Does Your Business Rate on the Customer Visual Checklist? "By eliminating as many negative visual cues as you can up front, you will help her mind relax, focus on the task at hand, and be more open to developing an ongoing customer relationship with you." - Michele Miller Wizard Partner and Marketing to Women specialist Michele Miller has kindly prepared a FREE quick visual checklist for you to download and complete. The link to the download is at the bottom of Michele's article titled "What Her Eyes Tell Her About Your Business." The Editor: Does your business group wish to learn how to attract and delight more female customers? Michele is available to speak to your group. But get in quick she has limited days available. Fees start at (US) $5,000 plus travel expenses. Previous stories, just in case you missed them: How to Write Ads That Make the Phone Ring 7 Tips for Surviving a Resession 5 Ways to Attract People to Your Store (without advertising) The Extraordinary People Myth A Closing Thought "If at first you don’t succeed; call it version 1.0." - Bryan Eisenberg See you next week. Craig Arthur Wizard of Ads PS. Need help to attract more customers and grow your business? Australia Call (07) 4728 4866 or email craigarthur@wizardofads.com North America Call 308-254-2732 or email daveyoung@wizardofads.com Call 440-610-9746 or email tomwanek@wizardofads.com We will never try and sell you. You may punch us in the arm really, really hard if we do. Call or email to book a FREE alignment meeting. No obligation. No pressure. It is at this meeting we both decide if there is a fit between our 2 companies. It is only then can we explore your options. We will never try to sell you. Call (07) 4728 4866.

Wizard Partners Australia. Call Us: (07) 4728 4866

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