Posted by Rich Harshaw on September 16, 2014.
Post Category: Extreme Makeover.
When it comes to contractor marketing, beware of the “Curse of Knowledge.”
When You Say Things That Make Sense To You…
But Not Your Prospects….
Your Sales Letter Is Not Going To Work!
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Beware of the “Curse of Knowledge.”
Simply put, it means that the more you know, the worse off you are. If you’re an expert in a particular field, it’s nearly impossible to imagine what it’s like to NOT know everything you know. So you tend to assume that others share that knowledge—even when they don’t.
The Curse of Knowledge is what causes window companies to brag to prospects about “extrusions” in their marketing and siding companies to quote prices “by the square.” Just because your entire living depends on understanding extrusions and squares, respectively, doesn’t mean your customers have the foggiest clue what you’re talking about.
The owner of an electric company recently submitted a two-page sales letter to me that was doomed by the Curse of Knowledge from the first paragraph to the last. Which meant that readers couldn’t understand the letter, which meant that they had no idea if they needed his services or not. Which meant that they didn’t call… which meant that he got no sales… which meant that he couldn’t buy his kid the GI Joe with the kung-fu grip for Christmas… and… well, you know. It was all downhill from there.
So let’s take a look at the letter. As you do, let me point out that I really like the Napoleon Dynamite-looking doodles and scribbles all over the page. They give the letter a certain kind of charm and appeal; they’re goofy but not stupid. They invite the reader to engage in the letter, but promise that it won’t be too heavy-handed. In short, I like it.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on September 11, 2014.
A Contractor’s Marketing Almost Always Sounds Like Charlie Brown’s Mother—WA, WA, WA, WA, WA, WA, WAAAAA…
Platitudes Are Murdering Your Marketing…
And You Probably Don’t Even Realize It.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
In case you weren’t aware, Papa John’s Pizza has better ingredients, and therefore better pizza. And I’m sure the first time you ever saw or heard that slogan, you immediately wised up to all that crummy pizza you had been buying from the likes of Pizza Hut, Dominoes, or the local pizza joint and switched to Papa John’s. After all, if Papa John’s says their pizza is better, it must be true. Right?
In the late 1990s, Pizza Hut certainly didn’t think so. At the time, their virtual monopoly in the pizza world had been decaying for several years, and they decided to fight back the American way—by suing their rivals. In the crosshairs was (relative) upstart Papa John’s and their misleading, blatantly FALSE slogan.
Much of the case revolved around the difference in the way the two chains prepare their sauce. A scientist was brought in as an expert witness by Pizza Hut to testify that both sauces in fact tasted identical. It was proven that neither product was actually fresh—they both sat around for weeks before being deployed onto a pizza. After weeks of trial and millions of dollars in legal fees, the judge ordered an injunction against Papa John’s entire “Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.” campaign.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on September 9, 2014.
Your Local Newspaper Desperately Needs Fresh Content; Providing It Can Propel Your Business To Another Level.
This Takes Time, Effort, & Know-How…
But Will Pay Off In Spades If You Diligently Follow This Plan.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
The header of this article pretty much explains what it’s about, so I’ll dispense with the introductory formalities and get right to it.
Here’s the deal: Every town has a local paper that is a goldmine of opportunity for a contractor’s marketing efforts. All you have to do is become a regular contributing columnist (or blogger—it’s essentially the same thing!!) and you’ll reap huge rewards.
When I say local paper, I’m talking about the one that covers EXTREMELY local news… like high school sports, city council meetings, and community-interest stuff like local crime, road construction projects, elections, and so forth. Usually these newspapers are distributed for free either by mail or local carrier, and are supported by advertising of local realtors, retail stores, restaurants, etc. I’m NOT talking about the major metropolitan newspaper (Dallas Morning News, in my case here in the Dallas area); I’m talking about the Suburban papers like Community Impact, MySouthlakeNews.com,or SouthlakeBubbleLife.com. Your town surely has its own.
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Posted by Rich Harshaw on September 4, 2014.
Contractor Marketing Should Use Powerful Words That Reach Out And Punch Readers In Their Faces!
14 Towering “Power Words” That Command Attention & Demonstrate That You’re Absolutely Serious.
Written by Rich Harshaw.
Let’s take a “power words” quiz. Examine these two phrases:
Phrase 1: We Do The Job Right The First Time.
Phrase 2: We Always Insist That Every Job Be Done Exactly Right The First Time—No Exceptions.
The first one expresses a worthwhile idea in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way. Unfortunately, it’s also stated in such an expected, uninteresting, and uninspiring way that nobody will give it a second thought.
The second phrase, on the other hand, has a certain level of panache to it. It’s intrepid, audacious, and borderline cocky. It’s not the kind of thing one says unless one is fairly certain they can follow through on the stated promise. It’s concrete, certain, and confident. And because of that, it’s also unusual, unexpected, and interrupting. It has power, precision, and passion.
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