Photo by Nick J Webb

What makes a joke funny? The punchline. The punchline pulls together the story you’ve been told, and then twists it in an unexpected way. The unexpected shift bypasses what you think will happen and instead delights you with something unseen. When marketing your business, you don’t have to be funny, but you might want to strive to say something unexpected.

I call this zigging when everyone else is zagging. For example, if you’re a masseuse, your “zag” marketing message is probably one of the following:

• You deserve to treat yourself better today
• De-stress your body
• Put your body in optimal health

These are all fine messages, appealing to our emotional/physical health. But instead, how would you react to any of these zig messages:

• After you reduce your pain, what are you going to complain about?
• My last client loved my massage so much, they married me.
• I’ll relax your muscles while you relax your mind.

The point to each of these messages is that the setup is the same (pain/relaxation), but the result of the offering is unexpected (complains, marriage, or peace-of-mind).

Don’t zig just to zig. Zig when zagging is the norm and your zig is something that’ll be noticeable and significant. In the three zig examples, we’re still mentioning the key benefit, but we’re making the result of achieving that benefit something memorable. We want to create a mental “double-take”. The extra attention will get you noticed and have a better chance of being recall-able when your prospect is ready for your offering.

Photo by Esparta Palma

Most of us are wired to avoid physical risk (especially as we get older). We are told to be careful with our money and business, to ensure long-term success. What what types of risks should we be regularly taking with our lives to ensure growth and satisfaction?

I’m not talking about taking risk for the sake of taking risks. There’s no reason to suddenly decide to sell silk scarves from Borneo made from the silk of a jumping spider or spend half of last years’ income on a new advertising campaign. However, both may be the right choice after you’ve done your homework.

I am talking about doing something that won’t kill or bankrupt you but makes you uncomfortable:

• Make business house-calls. Visit your clients in their place of business. Watch what they do to learn more not just about them, but about how you can better anticipate their needs.
• Make public speeches.
• Throw away your PowerPoint slides. If you’ve been making speeches for awhile, you probably have a PowerPoint deck that’s more a crutch than a benefit. Imagine that you’re about to give a speech, and your slides won’t work. Give the speech that’s fires up the listener’s imagination and forces them to pay attention to you, not your slides.
• Make friends with your competition. Business doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game (if they win, you lose). Consider ways to create win-win opportunities, especially if you’re both having to educate your customers about the benefits of less well-known product or service.
• Act dumb. Don’t assume you know the answers to all the questions. Ask others how they would solve certain problems. Be willing to do reverse-mentoring (asking for help from those subordinate from you) to see how fresh eyes / different backgrounds can open up your eyes.
• Get lost. Take a new driving route. Go to conferences that are well-attended but don’t relate to your business. Advertise your business in alternative media.

Well-considered risk will keep you sharp and aware of future trends. Comfort is nice, but long-term success comes to those that embrace change.

Does it feel like your business marketing efforts is a constant race to beat the clock? Are you overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending
deadlines looming? Is there any hope for making your marketing effortless (or at least, manageable)?

The first step in getting off the marketing treadmill is tracking exactly how much time, energy, and money you’re spending on your various activities.

Next, for each of your activities, how are you specifically measuring the fruits of your efforts? “Fruits” can mean: more phone calls, more bookings, more appearance, more sales, more web traffic, more subscriptions to your newsletter, or more mentions in media. Calculate the ROI (return on investment) for your activities. If you enjoy going to a Chamber mixer, but you seldom get any fruits for your effort, factor in the “enjoyment factor” as a fruit.

Finally, realize that almost no one does well with the pressure of a ticking clock looming. If you’re a creative person, make sure that you have ample down time to let your creative thoughts “steep”. Focus on tasks that provide a multitude of benefits to your business. For example, if you regularly write a newsletter, repurpose the newsletter’s content as a: website blog posting, an article bank letter submission, or an audio or video podcast.

By aligning your tasks with your skills and ROI for past efforts, you’ll stop watching the clock and start enjoying your business more. Remember why you started your business in the first place – to share your skills with the world. By focusing on the ticking clock, you’ve denied yourself of critical energy you’ll need to take your business to the next level.