October 1, 2008

Book Review: 5th Truth of Marketing to Women

EVEolution: Eight Truths of Marketing to Women

by Faith Popcorn

Truth #5 is…

“Walk, Run, Go to Her, Secure Her Loyalty Forever”

It used to be that you could knock on people’s doors in the middle of the day and a woman would kindly open the door and listen to what you were peddling.

I don’t know about you but if someone I don’t know shows up at my door, day or night, I’m letting my big, barking dog answer it.

That’s because my house is my home, my office, my sanctuary, my playground, my family’s gathering place, and much more.

It’s so many things to me that I’m loath to leave it and I order many of my goods and services via the internet.

I’ve got a nice little cocoon going.

I’m telling you this not to prove that I’m a hermit, but rather to shine a light on how most American women feel. As the world continues to speed up and the news becomes more and more frightening, we treasure our home space even more. And we’re all making it a bit harder to have access to this sacred space.

So here’s the bad news: “the notion that your potential client is magnetically drawn to your services is out.” Largely because women don’t have to time to seek you out. The “if you build it they will come” business model is so over.

Solution: Promote your services to your female clientele at her home or whatever places she frequents.

The author writes, “if you can get to a woman where she happens to be – in her home (early, late, weekends), at work, at her children’s school, online, at the local café, at the gym, in her car, while traveling, wherever – and make her life easier, you will win a faithful customer.”

Here’s how you can apply this wisdom to your wellness business:

Do you see how critical it is to have a keep-in-touch system? An email newsletter, print newsletter, regular post card mailings, regular hallmark cards, etc… – go to her. No matter what type of wellness business you have, you must have a way to keep in touch and stay in touch with your clients and potential clients.

Study your clients’ lives. What are three areas of their life that your services/products could help them save time, money, energy, or make life easier, more enjoyable in some way? Create a new program or product to address one of these areas. Repeat.

When looking at your marketing efforts, think service not solicitation. Sure sometimes you can sprinkle in a straight up “buy this” promotion now and again. But only if you most every marketing activity you do is some how tied into way it making your clients’ lives better. Not only does this give you the courage to do this, to see your marketing as a service rather than an intrusion, it helps your client see the big picture benefit of your services.