Conversations with Agencies: More sales.

Agency	We want to make more sales. How do we do it?
Me	Why should people buy from you when they can buy from the competition?
Agency	Oh, are you on about that standing out thing…?  it’s a tough one…
Me	Why should people buy from you when they can buy from the competition?
Agency	What do you mean?
Me	Why should people buy from you when they can buy from the competition?
Agency	We’ve got a great culture
Me	So what! Why should I care?
Agency	Um, we deliver great value for money?
Me	So what! Why should I care?
Agency	We’re smaller so we try harder…?
Me	So what!
Agency	We really get SMEs.
Me	Aaaaaaaah you just said “SMEs” what does that mean…. ? Please, why should I buy from you?
Agency	Do you want my elevator speech?
Me	NO. WHY? WHY? WHY?
Agency	Do you mean something like: We offer a money-back guarantee…?
Me	That would work for me…
Agency	Or we share in the risk by charging a retainer then a fee for performance…?
Me	Yep, I like that… but think benefits… benefits…
Agency	We will work with you to hit your sales targets which means that you can hit your sales KPIs. Or… We are the #1 agency in the UK working in your industry which means that you will get better conversion than your competitors.

 

It is a smart-ass thing to keep asking “why should I buy from you…?” but my experience is that relatively few agencies have nailed it.

And, if you look the same as your competitors then why should I buy from you?

This posting is not about me.

In fact, it is not even about you.

It is about your potential customers.

Why should they buy from you when they can buy from the competition? Every potential client is different.

Maybe it is time to go back to Marketing 101 – which is segmentation and differentiation.

What segment(s) are you trying to appeal to?

What makes you different?

Combine the two and you get some power…

Ignore the two and you create a bland me-too proposition that is singularly under-whelming.