I heard something today that struck a chord, or perhaps discord with me. It went something like this, "people who are always too busy to do things are just people who lack focus."
I have to admit...I consider myself a pretty busy person and I didn't like the sound of that! Unfocused? No! I simply have too many important things to do.
Then I thought some more...I know what I really have to do today and what I really have to do each week. And the rest is what I'd like to do, or what others have asked me to help them do....because they are "busy." So when I focus, yes...I could be far less busy if I only did the things I need to do most.
Businesses encounter the same issue in their marketing messages. So often a manager tells me the 5 things they want in a flier, or the 3 offers they want to include in a promotion, or 2 calls to action in an email or 10 things to convey on a home page.
When I ask..."If we got it down to ONE item in your message, what would it be?"...That question often strikes discord. Everything is important! It ALL needs to be conveyed equally to make sure I'm reaching every interest.
So...how does your customer or prospect receive that message? If you're thinking...unfocused...you're probably right.
Customers don't want to have to sort through your message to find the one idea that resonates with their needs. They want one clear message, one value statement, one call to action. They want to know that what you offer is a match to what they want. When our mailboxes are flooded with catalogs, our inboxes overflowing with email and our eyes and ears inundated with messages all around...the focused message wins our attention over the unfocused.
What does this mean to the business owner who wants to share 3 messages, because not every message fits every customer? That's where personalized marketing comes in. Intelligent marketing understands who your client is. Deliver messaging about petite women's clothing to petite women and about tall men's suits to tall men. If you can further segment your clients to target men who often wear suits, even better.
The more you can understand who you are talking to, the more you will be able to target your message with clarity. When your message is focused...it won't come across busy and will stand out from other "cluttered" communications.