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Engage Your Customer – Write About Benefits by Glenn Murray

Think quick. In 10 seconds, can you list the 5 key benefits you offer your customers?

I bet you said “Yes”. But are you sure you listed benefits? If you’ll bear with me for another 10 seconds, I’d like to test out a theory on you.

Recap your answers – maybe even write them down. Now list the 5 main things your business does. In other words, what are your 5 core services? What are the 5 core features of your product?

If your first list looks anything like your second, chances are you’re mistaking features for benefits. As a result, it’s likely that your marketing materials aren’t engaging your customer. Customers don’t want to know what you can do. They want to know what you can do FOR THEM.

Don’t talk features – talk benefits.

Don’t be alarmed. You’re not alone. Most business owners and marketing managers are so close to their product or service that they have a lot of trouble distinguishing benefits from the features of their offering. Ask a web host “what are the benefits of your service?”, and you’ll likely hear something along the lines of, “we offer load-balanced server clusters.” But that’s not a benefit… that’s what they do. The benefit is superior uptime and performance.

In fact, so many people think features instead of benefits that it can work in your favour – to dramatic effect. If you can accurately identify your benefits, and convey those benefits to your market, you’ll be light-years ahead of most of your competition. You’ll be converting leads into sales while they’re still bogged down trying to promote features.

So if you’ve ever sat down to write a sales letter and wondered how you’re going to grab your reader’s attention, or you’ve ever gone ‘round in circles writing draft after draft of web copy without ever hitting the mark, now you know where you were going wrong.

The only question remaining is, how do you do it right? Advertising copywriters and website copywriters do it all the time – and most of the time, they do it with benefits. Benefits are the copywriter’s holy grail. But if you’re not a seasoned copywriter, how do you identify the benefits you offer your customers?

There are any number of ways to identify the benefits you offer. This article discusses just three:
1) Customer Research
2) Speak to Your Sales Team
3) Make it Easy for Your Customer to Get Buy-In

The method you choose depends on your time constraints, budget, and level of customer interaction.

1) Customer Research
The most obvious way to identify benefits is to ask your existing customers. They’re spending a lot of money on your offering, so you can be sure they know what benefit they’re getting from it. (In many cases, it can be handy to ask them what benefits they’d like to be getting from you too!) Unfortunately, like everyone else, your customers are busy people. In most cases, you won’t get useful feedback by simply sending an email enquiry. You have to make it easy for them to respond, and you have to make it worth their while. Think about questionnaires and surveys for quantitative data, and interviews and focus groups for qualitative data. These are the simplest techniques, but you still have to make sure you interpret the results appropriately. And always remember that they’re self-report methods. People will sometimes tell you what they think you want to hear. (That’s also why you have to word your questions very carefully – try not to ask leading questions.) Of course, there are plenty of other research techniques around. Do a bit of homework and find the methods which best suit your business requirements. But don’t get carried away by the possibilities. All the research data in the world is pointless if you’re not talking the language of your customer.

2) Speak to Your Sales Team
Sadly, not every business can afford to invest in market research. If your budget doesn’t stretch far enough, try talking to your sales people. They’re out in the field every day, talking to customers. And because their livelihood depends on their success in engaging customers, chances are they’ll be able to tell you what your customers want to know. (A word of warning, though… Be careful not to make lofty promises. Unlike your sales team, written collateral doesn’t generate a rapport with your customers. Customers won’t make as many allowances, so you can only stretch the truth so far in writing before your credibility suffers. What’s more, if you do push the boundaries, you’re more likely to be held to your word!)

3) Make it Easy for Your Customer to Get Buy-In
If you don’t have the budget for in-depth customer research, and you don’t have a sales team, a good tip is to imagine how your customer gets buy-in from their boss. Quite often, the decision maker is someone higher up the food chain than your direct audience. Your audience will probably be the key stakeholder – they’ll be the user of your product, or the recipient of your service. But when they find an offering they like, there’s a good chance they’ll have to sell it to someone further up the line. If you can make this sale easier, you’ll have a foot in the door. Don’t just appeal to the sensibilities of the direct audience. You also need to ask yourself what they need to know to convince the decision maker. If the decision maker is a CFO, think Return on Investment (ROI) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). If the decision maker is a CIO or MIS, think performance, technological sustainability, availability, manageability, and ease of integration. If the decision maker is a CEO, think liability, risk management, and ROI. And only use jargon to prove you know your stuff. Remember… jargon will probably have the ultimate decision maker scratching their head, not reaching for their cheque book.

There are many many more ways to identify benefits. This is just a very superficial snapshot of some techniques you might like to try. At the very least they’ll get you thinking benefits.

In the end, the message is simple. Forget all the fancy talk about complicated revolutionary marketing principles. Forget new-age hard-sell advertising quick-fixes. Forget looking to so-called “experts” for solutions. Just think benefits. And if you can accurately do that, the rest is just mechanics. Once you know what you want to write about, you just need to put pen to paper. And that’s a whole ‘nother story!

Happy writing!

* Glenn Murray is a website copywriter, SEO copywriter, and article submission and article PR specialist. He is a director of article PR company Article PR and also of copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit www.DivineWrite.com or www.ArticlePR.com for further details, more FREE articles, or to download his FREE SEO e-book.

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The Willingness To Heal by Margaret Paul, Ph.D.

I have counseled individuals, couples, families and business partners for the past 35 years and authored eight published books. All this experience has resulted in the development of a profound healing process, called Inner Bonding, which anyone can learn and use throughout the day (free course available - see resource box at the end of the article). The first step of this process is willingness.

We cannot begin a journey without our willingness to do so. Without our willingness to do whatever it takes to heal, we will not begin the journey of healing and evolving our soul. Doing whatever it takes means that we are ready and willing to feel, learn about and take full responsibility for our own feelings - our own pain, fear, anger, hurt, aloneness, loneliness, disappointment, depression, sense of safety, worth, lovability and joy. Willingness means that we are ready to become aware of creating our own feelings with our thoughts, beliefs and actions. It means we are willing to face whatever it is we fear in order to heal the beliefs causing the fear.

Willingness means that we choose to be courageous and face our demons - the shadow side of ourselves about which we do not want anyone to know. It means that we are ready to move out of denial about the pain we are in, ready to stop hiding from ourselves. Willingness means that we are ready to become aware of how much we want control over our pain, over others, and over the outcome of things. Until we are ready to see, without judgment, how deeply we want to control everything, and all the overt and subtle ways we try to have control, we cannot choose to open.

Willingness means that we are ready to ask for help from a spiritual source of strength, and from others who can bring us love to help us heal. It means that we are ready to acknowledge that we cannot find our safety without spiritual guidance - that we are ready to invite Spirit into our heart to nurture and guide us. It means that we have embraced the journey, the sacred privilege of learning about love upon this planet.

We cannot move into the next step of the Inner Bonding process, the intent to learn about what we are thinking or doing to cause our pain until we are willing to move out of denial regarding our inner distress. As long as we are in denial about our pain, we will not recognize that we have inner pain and may not be motivated to learn about it. Our denial is one of the ways we are protecting against pain. We may not be willing to move out of denial until loving ourselves and others is more important than avoiding our pain.

Willingness means that you pay attention to the physical sensations within your body. You cannot know if you are believing or behaving in ways that are hurting you if you are unwilling to feel what is going on within your body. Feelings of pain, anger, anxiety, hurt, fear, and loneliness are physical sensations that occur within the body. When you numb your body with substances or shut out your inner experience with manipulations and activities, you cannot know what you are feeling.

We put ourselves on a new path toward our own wholeness when we become willing to feel our pain and learn from it.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D., best-selling author of eight books, including 'Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You” and co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at mailto:margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions.

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Love Is All You Need... Or Is it? by Annie Kaszina

This week I finally got round to watching “The Wedding Date” an enjoyable –if slight – romantic comedy.

The plot, for anyone not familiar with it, has reluctant singleton Debra Messing attending her step-sister’s wedding with a male “escort”, Dermot Mulroney, [who combines perfect eye-candy looks with gentlemanly charms and a comprehensive fee per service policy.

The Messing character needs to have Mulroney in tow because her ex, who inexplicably dumped her, is the best man.

The action is simple and predictable: girl meets boy, girl and boy connect at some profound yet unclear level, they fall into bed together, argue, break up and then end up back together, all smiles and tears while we the audience buy into the idea of them toddling off into the sunset of Happily Ever After.

This is indeed the stuff of “rom com” and romance, according to The Oxford English Reference dictionary, is about “an atmosphere or tendency complecharacterized by a sense of remoteness from or idealization of everyday life”. Quite. Except that we don’t entirely suspend disbelief even when we are watching romantic comedies.

At some point, every one of us has longed for that fuzzy ultimate feel-good sense of being regarded as the perfect inhabitant of a perfect world by our perfect partner.

Whatever the problem is, love is the answer. Love is all you need, after all. So Mulroney is a male sex worker. Not a problem. He gets all the best lines, from the philosophical: “You get the relationships you want”, to “ I think I’d miss you even if we’d never met” and this line that would sit well in the mouth of any abuser: “I’d rather fight with you than make love with anyone else.”

Aaah! And yuk! Aaah because both leads are so good looking (and toned and well dressed) that they’re just bound to be happy together ever. Yuk because flimsy love stories still impact on our psyche at the subliminal level, teaching us that you can build strong relationships on hopelessly inadequate foundations.

Sooner or later, we all try it, are amazed when it doesn’t work and punish ourselves. Often before repeating the same process with the self-same outcome.

Michael Gerber’s “The E-Myth Revisited” – Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work And What To Do About It” urges business owners to develop strong visions for their companies.

How does that translate to women, and men, who want to be build successful relationships? Surprisingly well.

Since we are all, first and last, flawed human beings, our design flaws in any one area of life are likely to impact on other areas also. And so it is that Gerber’s comments about replacing assumptions (and aspirations and dreams) with clear-sighted strategies relate to our emotional world also.

Gerber writes:

“Most of us have had the experience of being disappointed by someone in whom we have put our trust… trust alone can only take us so far.

Trust alone can set us up to repeat those same disappointing experiences.

Because true trust comes from knowing, not from blind faith.

And to know, one must understand.

And to understand, one must have an intimate awareness of what conditions are truly present. What people know and what they don’t. What people do and what they don’t. What people want and what they don’t. How people do what they do and how people don’t. Who people are and who they aren’t.”

It becomes possible to develop ‘an intimate awareness of what conditions are truly present’ when you are prepared to leave on hold the romantic justification: “Love is all you need” for as long as it takes to work through the various stages of relationship building – which Gerber defines as ‘Infancy’, ‘Adolescence’, ‘Beyond the Comfort Zone’ and ‘Maturity’.

“And how am I supposed to manage that, Clever Clogs?” you might be wondering. Once again, Gerber has a useful answer - if you are prepared to replace the term “relationship” with “business”.

Gerber talks at length about working on the business rather than in the business – a fascinating concept for anyone who has ever spent time trying to pick up the broken pieces of a relationship in the wake of a partner’s abusive outburst.

Gerber says:

“Simply put, your job is to prepare yourself and your business for growth.

To educate yourself sufficiently so that, as your business grows, the business’s foundation and structures can carry the additional weight.

And as awesome a responsibility as that may seem to you, you have no other choice – if your business is to thrive, that is.”

Having spoken with hundreds of abused women over the years, I can say with confidence that abusive men do not change their spots. They may use concealer when you first meet and fall for them, and their spots may proliferate over time, but still those spots are there from the start.

The Love-is-all-you-need approach will blind you to the spots. Working from the outset at establishing a foundation of reciprocal care, respect and equality will quickly enable you to see the face behind the concealer.

I’ve yet to encounter an abuser who can manage selflessness for longer than it takes to earn a few vital brownie points. And even then they don’t just do it, they make a 10 course banquet of it.

Nor do abusers 'do' solid foundations. Love is all they need. What they term love – over time increasingly a justification for all manner of bad behaviour- is most unlikely to be all you need.

That said, would I turn down the chance to parade Dermot Mulroney at a family function? No way. He would add a whole new dimension to a forthcoming bash at a Kosher Chinese restaurant in suburban London (truly!).

But I’d like to think that if he came out with a killer line like: “I’d rather fight with you etc.etc.”, I’d do the honourable thing and drag the sole of my hobnail boot along his shin. Hard. Because I’m not too sure where a line like that would fit with my compelling long-term vision of a possible relationship.

(C)2005 Annie Kaszina Joyful Coaching

An NLP Practitioner and Women's Empowerment Coach, Annie specialises in helping women heal the trauma of bad relationships, so they can enjoy the present and look forward to the future. Email:annie@joyfulcoaching.com To subscribe to Annie's twice monthly ezine, or order her eBook 'The Woman You Want To Be, go: to http://www.joyfulcoaching.com

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Abusive Relationships - Planning and Executing Your Getaway by Sam Vaknin

This article is meant to be a general guide to planning your escape. It does not contain addresses, contacts, and phone numbers. It is not specific to one state or country. Rather, it describes options and institutions which are common the world over. You should be the one to 'fill in the blanks' and locate the relevant shelters and agencies in your domicile.

Read this article on other options and getting help!

http://samvak.tripod.com/abuse19.html

Do not leave unprepared. Study and execute every detail of your getaway. This is especially important if your partner is violent. Be sure to make a Safety Plan - how to get out of the house unnoticed and the indispensable minimum items that you should carry with you, even on a short notice.

Here are the recommendations of the Province of Alberta in Canada:

Long before you actually leave, copy all important documents and store them in a safe place. These include: identity cards, health care and social insurance or security Cards, driver's license/registration, credit cards and bank cards, other personal identification (including picture ID), birth certificate, immunization card for the children, custody order, personal chequebook, last banking statement, and mortgage papers. Make a list of all computer passwords and access codes (for instance: ATM PINs).

When you leave the house, take with you these copied documents as well as the following personal items: prescribed medication, personal hygiene products, glasses/contact lenses, money (borrow from family members, a neighbour, colleague, or friends, if you have to), several changes of clothing (don't forget night wear and underwear), heirlooms, jewellery, photo albums (pictures that you want to keep), craft, needle work, hobby work.

The situation is inevitably more complicated if you are fleeing with your children. In this case, be sure to bring with you their various medications, soother, bottles, favourite toy or blanket, and clothing (again: night wear, underwear). Older kids may carry their own clothes and school books.

Make a list of the following and have it on you at all times: addresses and phone numbers of domestic violence shelters, police stations, night courts, community social services, schools in the vicinity, major media, and address and phone and fax numbers of your lawyer and his attorneys. Secure a detailed public transportation map.

Your best bet is to apply to a shelter for a safe place to stay the first few days and nights. Read more about shelters here - Domestic Violence Shelters.

If you can afford to, your next step should be to hire a divorce attorney and file for interim custody. Your divorce papers can be served much later. Your first concern is to keep the children with you safely and legally. Your husband is likely to claim that you have kidnapped them.

But your escape should be only the tip of a long period of meticulous preparations.

We already mentioned that you should make copies of all important documents (see above). Don't escape from your predicament penniless! Secretly put aside cash for an Escape Fund. Your husband is likely to block your checking account and credit cards. Ask around where you can stay the first week. Will your family or friends accept you? Apply to a domestic violence shelter and wait to be accepted. Be sure to know where you are going!

Make extra sets of keys and documents. Bundle these up with some clothes and keep these 'reserve troves' with friends and family. Put one such 'trove' in a safety deposit box and give the key to someone you trust. Secure transportation for the day or night of escape. Agree on codes and signals with friends and family ('If I don't call you by 10 PM, something has gone wrong', 'If I call you and say that Ron is home, call the police').

You should wait until he is gone and only then leave home. Avoid confrontation over your departure. It can end badly. Do not inform him of your plans. Make excuses to slip away in the days and months before you actually leave. Get him used to your absence.

Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com

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Finding A Dog Breeder by Kirsten Hawkins

If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.

Ask for References

Any good breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.

Prepare to be Asked Questions

A good breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.

Guarantees

A good breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.

Other Sources

Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.

Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.

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