You want growth, you need new friends

You opened a business and need customers.
Everything you own is put into this risky adventure.
You have decided this is where your opportunity in life lies.
So you risk money, ego, time, relationships, future opportunities and your own sanity to take it on.

You hear people telling you to put things on sale.
Sales drive traffic, right?
You know it works with your own purchase decisions, so it must be good advice.

Someone tells you to put a big red sign in the front window with 50% off.
Big discounts drives big traffic, right?
You've responded to those signs before so it must be a good thing to do.

Someone else tells you to mail out a flyer with discounts on them.
You've responded to flyers with discounts before.
So it must be good for business, right?

When a sale is made, business makes money, right?

Your business is in trouble.
You're focussing on the wrong customer.
Sales, discounts, flyers all work.
They drive traffic from a group of people who want to save money.

This type of sales traffic is not loyal.
They switch when you're not cheap.
They cheat on you when your competitor is cheaper.

You need customers who love your products for the same reasons that you love them.
There are people who behave the same way you do when it comes to your products.
They don't know about you, yet.
You have a marketing problem which is causing your sales problem.

The marketing tactic that focuses on discounts are "easy fixes" to your marketing problem. They are temporary, inconsistent drivers of sales traffic.

The job of marketing is to get into the customers head so that when the time is right, they walk through the door, click a button or pick up the phone.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO THEIR HEAD?

The answer is simple but never easy.
There are two ways to do it:

1. Be extremely clever. This takes creative genius but it doesn't last. The world gets bored of the cleverness and your ads are only as good as the last ones you created. Most major brands apply this technique and proceed to fire their creative geniuses every 3 to 4 years.
2. Say something that matters. This takes a lot of digging. It is an authentic voice, a true perspective and an accurate feeling of what your company is. Few brands apply this strategy but those that do ride it for decades as they climb to market leader in their categories.

Speak from the heart and you will find customers who want the same things you want. Speak to the right brain to get at a customer's emotional self. When you pull out an emotion, you will find your customers, who will become your business friends.

Here's why: Customers who believe in what you're saying are EXACTLY like you. Relationships are built on that premise. 

Go make some new friends.

Rick Nicholson is a partner of Wizard of Ads. He helps customers find their unique, authentic voice so they can grow their business. You can reach him at ricknicholson@wizardofads.com to see how he can help you.