By Nancy Drexler
Acquired Marketing
One of the most profound lessons I've learned in my career came from a trusted leader in the advertising world. He said, "Consumers aren't buying a four-inch drill bit; they are buying a four-inch hole."
Think about that. Effective marketing for a power tool should not address the size, shape or intricacies of the tool; it should show you how fast, simple and affordable it is to get exactly the hole you need.
The same is true in merchant services. Business owners don't have the time or desire to learn the complex, tedious details of gateway services or PCI compliance. So don't sell a drill. Sell a hole. Sell a promise.
If your promise is to save the merchant money, your marketing materials should not show a side-by-side statement analysis. That is the drill. Focus on the hole by showing your customers enjoying the money they've saved.
Make your message relevant. For instance, if you are offering money-saving services to a veterinarian, your headline might read, "Now you don't have to neuter four more pit bulls just to pay for your credit card processing." Or you might offer a new Europay/MasterCard/Visa terminal with the promise, "One simple switch can make your distemper vaccines more profitable." Define and deliver
As more and more of us enter the mobile arena, this kind of thought process becomes critical. You aren't selling a dongle; you're selling a payment promise to a business owner. Define your promise. Then deliver it in catchy, memorable, relevant ways, and your work will be much more powerful.
Nancy Drexler is the President of Acquired Marketing, a boutique marketing firm for businesses in the payments industry. To learn more about what Acquired Marketing can do for you, visit www.acquiredmarketing.com, call 917-743-5258 or email ndrexler@acquiredmarketing.com.
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