A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a friend and encouraging her to quit her job.
A bit dramatic, I know, but she was stressed, unhappy, and not getting the sense of job satisfaction that she deserves.
Regardless of the fact that the pressure employers put on their employees these days really grinds my gears, I believe life is precious and it shouldn’t be spent doing the things that make us sad.
So, this light-hearted banter went on for a while and ended with her saying to me, “it’s easy for you to say.”
And those words hung in my head.
Because, yes, it is easy for me to tell someone to quit their job when they’re obviously unhappy.
Twice now I’ve made the decision to leave perfectly good employment – firstly when I left my career to travel and explore the world in 2008, and next, almost two years ago when I walked away from the comfort of a regular salary to run my own business fulltime.
So, yes, my friend was right.
It’s easy for me to say because I’ve done it and I’m out the other side.
I’ve felt the fear. I’ve climbed the hurdles. I’ve changed the routine. I’ve met the new people. I’ve moved out of my comfort zone.
Jo Robinson copywriter: Loves a Gold Coast sunrise, tells everyone they should love them too.
Easy for her to say!
Anyone who knows me knows how I’ll impart my views on them…exercise regularly, focus on nutrition, look after your mental health, see the world, blah blah.
And all those things are easy for me to say, too. I understand the value in what I’m saying because I’ve made those changes and I know how much better my life is for it. But the people I say them too rarely ever take my advice.
Why?
Because…it’s all so easy for me to SAY. But not so easy for someone else to DO.
Are you the same with your business?
Have you lived it, breathed it, loved it, and now you’re telling your potential clients how they should do the same with your product or service?
Because, it doesn’t matter how ground-breaking your product or service is, how much you believe in it and how much you know it’ll improve the lives of the people you’re telling about it, while you’re saying it over and over, they’re possibly just dismissing your words because ‘it’s easy for you to say’.
Now, business owners, if you find you’re not making as much traction as you believe you should with your online content, I’m going to give you two tips.
Tip #1:
If you want people to listen to you, don’t give them an easy out.
What I mean by this is don’t just tell them about your services, because that’s easy.
Tell them about the benefits of your service. Let them know how what you offer will impact their life, let them know that you understand them and their problems and that you’re invested in them.
When you put your product or service into their context, suddenly, your advice isn’t just something that’s ‘easy to say’, your words start to have meaning and significance for your audience.
Tip #2
Engage with a copywriter.
If you’re writing your own content and not getting anywhere…speak to someone who has been doing this day in and day out and is well versed in talking the language of your clients.
Easy for me to say? Yes. Easy for me to do? Yes.
So, what should I have said to my friend?
What I really should have said was, ‘hey, I get it, I know it’s scary, so I’ll help you. I’ll help you find a new job, I’ll hand your notice in for you, I’ll pay your bills for you if you can’t find a new job, you’re not alone.’
Of course, that’s completely unrealistic but I think had I have addressed her fears instead of inflicting my solution on her, my advice might have had more meaning.
Just like me and my friend, your clients need to know that you’re there for them, that you and your product will support them through their change, but most importantly that you understand their fears and doubts.
If you’re not addressing your client’s fears and doubts in your sales and marketing collateral, then everything you say will just be ‘easy for you to say‘ and is unlikely to ever have the desired impact. If you don’t already know your client’s fears and doubts, then take a step back and find them, because you won’t get far without this level of understanding of your audience. I can show you how.
Your business is easy for you to say, find a way to make it easy for your target market to hear, and watch your momentum gather.
For more advice on how you can encourage your market to LISTEN to you instead of dismiss you, click the link below, or call Jo Robinson on 0422 053 199.
