Radio Station WIIFM
by Andrew Shedden
The world's largest radio station girdles the globe. Billions of people are tuned into it simultaneously. It runs 24/7, is never off of the air, and its content is totally predictable. In fact, the content on this radio station will be the same five hundred years from now. If the truth were told all of us tune into it from time to time. This radio station uses the call letters WIIFM.
These catchy call letters stand for "What's in it for me." People do things for their own reasons and not yours. The sooner you realize the significance of this the faster you will be able to get your marketing moving.
When you are considering structuring your sales processes think of how your efforts will be viewed if you are not sensitive to the needs of others. The typical call makes the solution fit every problem. If you want to see your prospect's eyes glaze over start selling the conventional way. Get on your chequered blazer, put on your striped pants, and get ready to rumble. Look at your prospect as a commission cheque and start pushing product.
Think of the old story about the man and his wife who go to the used car lot. There is a little Pontiac Firefly on the lot and the salesperson has been given instructions to get it sold, even if it means selling it for half price. The salesperson approaches the couple and starts really pitching them on how great a deal the car is, how great its performance is and how economical it is to run. Finally, as a last resort, he offers the couple the car for half the sticker price. They look at each other and leave the salesperson scratching his head. The next day the couple shows up at the car lot with their five children and two dogs.
When you are pulling together the content for all of your marketing communications remember whom you are writing for. The content should be customer centred, not you centred. Every communication that emanates from your office should directly address the problems that your customer is facing.
One quick way of testing your printed communications is to count the number of times that the terms "we", "our company", "Andrew's Widgets Inc.", and terms of this nature are used. There is a time and place in all of your marketing communications to describe how wonderful you are. The time should be after you have addressed your customer's concerns. The place should be following your customer centred solutions as presented in your written communications.
If you are totally honest with yourself you will realize that from time to time you too are tuned into radio station WIIFM. Rather than fight this simple truth, take advantage of it. Accept it as part of what makes all of us human. Remember that you are in the business of selling solutions to real or perceived problems. If you ask questions, uncover problems, and have genuine empathy, you're 90% of the way there.
