About once a week, my wife tells me I need to eat better. She tells me I’m getting older, and health matters. And so it’s been for the past five years. She asks. I hear. I agree. I stall. But a week ago, I took a trip to California, and as soon as I made my way back to Brooklyn, I started a new diet. I even bought some running shoes. And I’m not a guy who runs.
What changed? Did I see the light? Did the words sink in after a half a decade? Not so much. It was all in something I saw, and it will tell you everything about how small differences in positioning for your audience can mean big changes in action.
TIRED OF DISAPPEARING CLIENTS?
Most businesses fail for one reason above all: They don’t understand their clients’ point of view
We all notice when we get one call too many or we’re smacked by a total lack of respect. We all know how our clients fit into our lives. But the real question is how do we fit into theirs?
Clients care that you solve their problems. It’s not being good or committed or hard-working. It’s how these things produce results.
In this video, I’m going to talk about how to create a powerful approach to communicate the real value of your services and how you can apply the Benefit Multiplier Strategy to stand out and make yourself essential.
Watch the video, then read on.
WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON
Here’s a secret. As a fat kid who grew into a fat adult, peaking at 276 pounds, what I learned was you never fully get over it. I lost a hundred pounds, I got in shape, I fell out of shape, I now linger somewhere in between, but when I look in the mirror, the same fat kid stares right back at me.
So even though I know I need to be in better shape – I know it’s about living longer, being stronger, and all that, and damnit, I don’t wanna say it’s so, but I really just want a decent body.
And that’s what I saw in California last week. A bunch of friends who lost a bunch of weight in new clothes, looking good. Seeing it with my own eyes drove it home, because that’s the benefit that registers with me. Yes, my wife’s arguments made sense, but they didn’t hit me at an emotional level.
There are all sorts of reasons people want to lose weight and there are all sorts of reasons they need photography. But whatever they are, when you’re connecting with people, the key is always going to be the same. Start by finding the benefits. Refine it to find the right benefits. Everyone has something staring back at them in the mirror. Figure out what that is, and you’ll get all the business you need.
OhmygoodnessSpencerLum… You’re awesome!
Thanks Matt!
This is a really good and insightful post.Really makes plain some important things to consider from a clients viewpoint. T
Appreciate that!
Amazing informations, and so true. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
It’s one of my favorite topics, Sonia. Thanks!
Really good post! We’re definitely going to re-write our website texts after this! Thanks 🙂
Let me know how that turns out for you! Thanks Ramon!
Great stuff Spencer. Good things to really dive into & think through.
Thanks, Rachel! Let me know how you wind up using it!
This is great! I can see exactly what I’ve been doing wrong and I’m excited about trying this. One question I have is how do you get the in-person meetings? Everyone just wants prices in an email or over the phone, though I do always try to set up a meeting. Is there some trick to this? I feel like if I just send pricing in an email, then it becomes all about the money and I only get meetings with people who think I am the right price, not the right photographer. Any suggestions?
Yes – definitely have a suggestion. Focus on getting people on the phone to talk with you before sending them the pricing. While your success rate will depend a lot on where they’re coming from, getting to talk with them helps to build the connection that you need to get the meeting, which, of course, you’ll want to ask for when you have them on the phone.
I’ve tried a lot of different approaches, and going for a phone call has yielded the best results for me. While I know people who have had some pretty complex emails that have worked, I actually just reply with a very short message within minutes of most inquiries, before they’ve received tons of replies. Most people say yes, right off. If the reply is later, I’ll write more. Either way, this is one of those things you need to test, because it depends on where people are coming from and what they expect. In some cases with some audiences, you’ll need a reply that’s more robust.
Great As all your videos!, sometimes clients concerns about that I am not the one who take the picture or film the videos, some customers are more into ” who is going to take the picture” rather than the final product that my company can deliver, what advice can you give us in order to leave clients in our hands?, I mean , focusing more into my company product and less into the photographer itself
Regards, Miguel
Thanks so much for your comment Miguel. The first thing I’d say is to focus on establishing trust. If you’re selling someone else’s services, building trust becomes more important than ever, since people will hear about everything second hand. Part of that is explaining your role in the process, so people can see that the person they’re speaking to is important and involved. Another part is what this process means to the client, and why it works to their benefit. Finally, be sure to alleviate any fears they might have and have responses ready for the common concerns. It’s going to be the trust in you that’s necessary to make them believe in your shooters, so establish that to have a great conversation about what you can do.
really great advice spencer! now the question is how to implement this without sounding “sales-y” and while keeping true to our brand…
Thanks, Rich. I’d say just to speak sincerely. Saying why you do what you do for someone doesn’t have to be sales-y. And the brand should take care of itself – any good brand has a purpose, and any good purpose solves a problem or addresses a need that’s out there, so there should be a conguirty between brand and benefits.
Hey Spencer, thanks very much for this. I have been in such a funk lately. Looking at all my competitors and how they get the jobs? Wondering why not me? I am going to try this and find the benefits in my benefits..
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Hi Spencer, video is private any help?