I’ve spoken with many entrepreneurs who spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out the best way to deliver their message and little time trying to figure out what to say in that message.

Finding the right vehicle to delivery a marketing message is important.  Finding the target market that needs to hear that message is equally important.  But, the most important element of a marketing message is the content of the message.

In order to increase your probability of success, your message has to address three important issues.  First, are you clearly stating how your services or products benefit your customers?  Are you stating why customers will benefit from your process or products? What will they do differently as a result of choosing your business?  How does your business enhance their lives or eliminate an inconvenience?

Secondly, how can customers trust that your company will deliver that benefit promise?  Do you offer a money back guarantee?  Does your experience, education, or years in business provide a pedigree of trust?  Prospects are asking, “Can I trust that this company will deliver on their benefit promise?”  In today’s cynical society, all marketing messages must give readers and listeners the comfort of trust. 

Finally, we are living in a world of tremendous consumer choice.  Most of the consumer products or services look the same…they’re boring!  Your marketing messages must tell consumers how you differ from the competition.  Your messages must clearly state, “Here’s what we do that no one else does.” 

Include these three elements in every marketing message (benefits, trust, and difference) and you see a dramatic increase in customer responses.

Don’t have any tattoos. I don’t like tattoos, and I find the thought of tattoo needles frightening. Despite my personal aversion and opposition to tattoos, I would recommend a type of tattoo that I urge all entrepreneurs to embrace…brain tattoos!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could climb into the skulls of our targeted prospects and existing customers and leave our mark, our tattoo branded on their brains? Well we can, if not literally, than figuratively.

We know that customers buy when they’re ready to buy and, not when we’re ready to sell. Our job then is to figure out a way to get in their heads and stay at their top-of-mind until they’re ready to buy. Only then can we be assured that the customers will call us when they’re thinking of making a purchase. The way to get to and stay at top-of-mind is through continuous, respectful communications that, over time, leave impressions in the minds of your clients and prospects.

A university study suggests that in order to get to top-of-mind with your prospects, you have to “touch” them twelve times a year. That rules out emails which will be deleted without being opened, postcards that are too impersonal, bulk faxes which are illegal, personal visits which are too time-consuming and interruptive, or cold calls which no one wants to make or receive.

So, what’s the best way to stay in touch without offending prospective customers? The answer is a simple and powerful one-page letter that clearly states your difference, your benefits, and a strong statement explaining why they can trust you to deliver those benefits.

There’s an entrepreneurial lesson to be learned in the Mae West quotation, “Outta sight is outta mind and outta mind is outta money, honey.”