How to Deliver Your Message with Mastery
By Pat Ryan

Whether we are promoting an idea, a product, a service or even YOURSELF, we all need to sell. Unfortunately, most people, like most businesses, do not take advantage of - or do not understand - the fundamentals of successful marketing.

But, it’s really not all that difficult. Your marketing message can be broken down into pieces that will determine its probability of success. As a matter of fact, everything in life really breaks down into probabilities. A simple philosophy followed by many successful people is to always do things that will increase your probability of success. Simple enough. But in applying this philosophy to your marketing message, you first need to determine what are those critical elements that will increase the probability of success - and then make sure those elements are present in your message!

So how do we establish these generic principles as it relates to our marketing message - with so many different types of businesses, products and services? The good news is that the work has already been done - and has been revealed in a groundbreaking book (which has my highest recommendation) called, “Jump Start Your Business Brain” by Doug Hall, who has donned the cover of Inc. Magazine - hailed as one of America’s top idea-generation gurus. Doug is the Founder and CEO of Eureka! Ranch, a think tank that has won raves from some of the biggest corporations in the country.

Hall has created the Three Laws of Marketing Physics – laws that can guide you into creation of a successful marketing message:

1. Overt Benefit
2. Real Reason to Believe
3. Dramatic Difference

Many marketing pieces, presentations, etc. are cluttered with various messages, many of which do not fall into one of these categories. But sometimes, less is more – and in this case, it is best to succinctly communicate your message. For the maximum probability of success, make sure each of these three principles are clearly presented.

1. Overt Benefit
   
   The reason customers buy things is to receive the benefit of what they bought. Customers maintain established behaviors until they come in contact with an overtly appealing alternative benefit force. Analysis of thousands of new product and service concepts indicates that when an Overt Benefit is communicated, the probability of business success and the return on investment for the effort you expend will nearly triple. So, by simply enhancing and improving your benefit communication, you can realize a dramatic improvement in your business results. These same findings show that straight talk wins – no cutesy messages needed. Get to the point. And don’t assume that a customer will get the benefit from inference. Simply telling your customers in a direct and easy-to-understand manner what you can do for them can nearly triple your chances of success!
   
   Example
   Mentor Tech Group has created a list for those marketing to the corporate training world – always a troublesome area for marketing executives trying to reach them. We had found that nearly ALL companies were dissatisfied with the “status quo” lists and wanted help! In response to this nagging problem, we developed a list. So, a list is a list is a list, right? Not really.
   
   MTG Overt Benefit:
   • The most precisely targeted and highly accurate list of corporate training/e-learning decision makers available – anywhere!
   • A DIRECT connection between you & where projects originate within corporate training/e-learning!
   
   
2. Real Reason to Believe
   
   An Overt Benefit must be communicated in conjunction with a Real Reason to Believe. You MUST give your prospect cause to believe that you can deliver on your Overt Benefit promise. Why should your prospect believe your claim? What gives you the special skill to deliver? So many people have been “burned” by false claims, people are cautious when it comes to making a financial commitment, and are therefore wary of the claims you make. Your Real Reason to Believe must give confidence to your prospect that your claims won’t fall flat – that you can do what you said you were going to do!
   
   Analysis of thousands of new business concepts shows that enhancing Real Reason to Believe tangibly increases your odds for success and correspondingly your return on effort expended. Studies have shown that only 20% of concepts offer a significant reason to believe – leaving 80% that don’t. (This probably explains why about 80% of all new products and services fail!)
   
   The benefit is what you’re offering. The reason to believe is how you’re going to make good on your promise. You need both the what and the how to succeed.
   
   Example
   So why should anyone believe that MTG’s list is really precisely targeted and highly accurate? Especially since in the past, getting a good list of corporate training/e-learning decision makers had been next to impossible?
   
   MTG Real Reason to Believe:
   • Our list was created from scratch, via personal telephone interviews with an MTG Prospect Development Specialist
   • MTG works exclusively within corporate training & e-learning – and has the EXPERTISE to build a phenomenal list!
   • MTG’s client list is a Who’s Who of the corporate training/e-learning world – we can back up our claims with testimonials!
   
   
3. Dramatic Difference
   
   When you optimize your Overt Benefit and Real Reason to Believe, this alone can generate a 5% to 50% growth in sales. But when these two are offered in conjunction with a Dramatic Difference, sales and profits explode!
   
   An effective Dramatic Difference is one that is based on a combination of Overt Benefit and Real Reason to Believe that is relevant yet unexpected – relevant in that it has meaning, purpose and applicability to customer needs; unexpected in that it is novel, unusual, original, unique, new and different. The Dramatic Difference must make a real difference for customers. Exaggerating differences based on minor distinctions that are irrelevant to customers will fail. Customers are creatures of habit. To change purchasing behavior, you must offer a meaningful perceptible difference versus the status quo. Offering a Dramatic Difference gets you noticed, remembered and acted on by customers.
   
   Example
   What really sets apart an MTG list from the status quo? Why should anyone change his or her buying behavior?
   
   MTG Dramatic Difference:
   • MTG lists contain the actual decision makers; whereas “status quo” lists have more “soldiers” than “Generals” (ex. Who attended certain trade shows/subscribed to certain magazines in the last five years)
   • MTG is the ONLY Company determining WHO the correct decision maker is through personal conversations - on a case-by-case basis
   • MTG is uniquely capable – due to our specific expertise and focus on corporate training/e-learning
   • MTG lists have many direct telephone numbers (unlike the status quo) – and most contacts have a validated email address!
   • “Status quo” lists have more than ten times the error rate!

We strongly suggest that you make an effort to determine to what extent each of these three principles is present in your marketing message. Also, to get a more comprehensive understanding of these tremendously powerful concepts, invest in “Jump Start Your Business Brain” – it is a great read!

Onward and Upward…