written by john c ashworth
PT Barnum used to say,
No one ever went broke over-estimating the ignorance of the American public.
In other words, you have to be very careful with all your assumptions about what your prospects and customers know and understand about what you do, what you offer, and how you can help them solve their problems. Because if you're committed to the johnny renaissance lifestyle and you adhere to the Japanese principle of Kaizen OR contant improvement, YOU are always learning, growing, and advancing your knowledge and understanding of your world in new, important and innovative ways. That's what makes you the expert. And at the same time, that's what places your knowledge and understanding about how you can help your people far ahead of where their current understanding lies. you must always keep this in perspective
Because here's the truth...
No one gives a hoot until you teach them how; and more importantly, why they should care about what you have to offer them and how it will change their lives.
This is a very BIG job.
And even if you're willing to accept this idea and this challenge - and I encourage you to do so for your own success - your ability to do this and do it right and to stay with it for as long as it takes, is contantly thwarted by obstacles. Some of which you cannot control. Plenty of which you can control with hard work, diligence, and a constant acceptance and presence with this truth.
Anyone can hang a sign in their window that says they're the BEST. Very few know how to do it in a way that magnetically attracts the right kind of customers.
Clarity trumps cleverness in advertising, marketing and sales.
EVERY time.
Start really listening to your prospects and customers and to your marketplace as a whole, and you will begin to see and understand this idea very quickly. Your people are looking for clarity and when you can privide that for them and do it in a way that is more clearn and articulate in comparison to your competitors, you gain their attention in a way that is important, meaningful and full of opportunity to teach and educate your marketplace about what you can really do for them and how it will benefit their businesses and their lives. People will begin listening, intently.
The problem is that everyone always wants to get too cute.
Almost everyone is caught-up in their own perspective and forgetful and negligent of the fact that the people you're trying to reach and influence don't know what you know.
And until they do, they'll never listen to you.
Why would they?
-John
