Developing your Verbal Logo
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by Gary Lockwood, BizSuccess
The next 30 seconds may determine whether you get your funding, make the sale or establish your point-of-view!
In this faced-paced, mile-a-minute world, you often have only a few seconds to get your message across. Most modern television and radio commercials are no more than 30 seconds. Where could you use an effective 30 second commercial message about your
business? These mini-messages are ideal for investor meetings, networking meetings, trade shows, interviews, sales calls or any situation where you need to quickly promote your business.
How do you develop these messages effectively? Think in terms of "sound bites". Prepare your brief message just like a speech, with an opener, the content and the closing. Let’s examine each of these in more detail.
The Opening
- "When can we meet?"
- "Give me your business card".
- "Call today".
- "When you think of shoes, think of The Shoemaster".
The purpose of your opening is to grab attention. You must assume that your audience is generally as busy and preoccupied as you are. So you need to first get their attention with a question, "grabber’" words, humor or an interesting visual. Using a question as an opener causes the listener to stop and think. "Do you want to change the world?" "How many new prospects do you want today?" "When do you want to feel good again?" Once you have their attention, your message can help them answer the question. Grabber words are designed to startle, shock or at least cause your listener to want to listen to what’s coming next. The first sentence of this article is an example. A funny comment or an eye-catching visual are always effective ways to get the attention of your listeners in a hurry. Obviously, any of these openings must be relevant to your message, or they will confuse your listeners. The Content
Once you have their attention, relate your main message. Since you usually have only three or four sentences, you need to craft this message carefully. The most effective message is the one that states what your business can do for the listener. In other words, talk about the benefits to be received by using your product or service. Don’t say "I’m a dentist". Say " I improve the health and well-being of my clients. Healthy teeth help you look good and feel good". The bottom line is that your listeners don’t care what you do. They care about what you can do for them. Talk in terms of results, feelings, benefits, outcomes, ideas. Imagine your listener with a sign on their forehead that reads "So What? What’s in it for me?" Remember, you only have 30 seconds. There will be time later to explain how you do these great things. The Closing
Here is where you ask for action. As a result of your 30 second commercial, you want your listener to do something or think something. Ask:
Gary Lockwood is Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the Lives of CEOs, business owners and professionals.
Phone: (951) 739-7444
* Email: Gary @ BizSuccess.com
Web: www.BizSuccess.com
