Avoiding Icky Trickery PART 1

On Wednesday I went to penthouse restaurant to hear a wonderful speaker named Matt White.

This presentation was on a beautiful evening, about 75 degrees, with sunny skies, and we were on the 9th floor, with the whole city landscape to look at, followed to the north by the beautiful Lake Erie. A gorgeous outdoor deck and open air patio beckoned us throughout the evening.

And yet, he was able to command my attention for the whole time, since he was introducing us to his book “Stop Selling and Start Helping.” You can order it here. He shared with us the 6 key tactics to create an impact in your market, without selling. Now we creative types hate that word anyway, so I was all ears, as were the florists, the caterers, and the specialty linen vendors.

He wrote that traditional sales was like kissing a total stranger (all urgency, pressure tactics, trickery, and more than a little icky). Not only do people not want to be kissed by strangers, but they don’t usually buy from them. People buy from people they know, like and trust. You need to help your customers and interested fans solve their problems, and then they will trust you, and will buy from you. But how exactly does this happen?

Matt White believes, as I do (as do a great many other experts in small business marketing), that you can engage people through content that “attracts, acquires and engages a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” *

I know it sounds like a lot of gobbledy gook business language…but what you are reading right now is content marketing. I am sharing my expertise, resources, and helpful advice to you, in the hopes that you find it useful in your business. Think about what would happen if you shared fun insights on parties with your clients and prospects. You can advise them how to have a theme party, tying goodie bags, food, games and even decorations in with the theme of the event you are face painting for. Or you can share fun party recipes for a theme you have performed at before. You can highlight a fun party place… one that you love to work at, and you know you can add value (think…ice cream shop, make your own pizza, pony farm). You write about safety and hygiene, what kind of makeup you use, and what to do if there is an allergic reaction.

“WAIT” you say, “why would I want to tell my customers about allergies to face paint? That will just make them not want to have me.” I disagree. By being up front and honest about the possibility of allergies and discussing what you do to protect against bad results (using high quality makeup, not painting kids you know to have had a reaction, doing an arm test first, etc). I learned while successfully selling for BIG Pharma, that doctors responded better, when I told them of the negative side effects of the drugs I represented as well as the positive benefits.

There is no reason to shy away from the allergy issue…just talk about it honestly and clients will appreciate it.

You know stuff…and you share it with the people that call you, and the painters you meet. What would happen if you wrote it down and shared it on your web site, on a blog, in an email to your past and future clients? An entire industry has been created to help you, called email marketing services. (ask me about Constant Contact)

Clients will appreciate other things that you address, which you can even do in a FAQ-type bulletin. Frequently asked questions from our potential customers are the same across the globe:

• How long does it take to paint a face?
• Is there a minimum or maximum age limit for face painting?
• How many faces can you do in an hour?
• What the best way to take off the makeup?
• Do you paint anything else if the guests doesn’t want it on their face?
• What other services do you offer?

The answers to that last one can get a little promotional…but by then, you have won them over with your expertise and conscientious HELPFULness, so it is okay. It is certainly more attractive that constantly sending out promotional ads that feature YOU. YOU. YOU.

Solve their problems first! Avoid making it about you, and just get helpful information out there. Your clients will be more educated, they will see you as more helpful than the person who just provides promotional ads, and you will be seen as the expert.

Stay tuned, the next newsletter (Part 2 of this series) will discuss how to get in the habit of writing to your clients, prospects and sub contractors, if you have them. In addition, it might help you with anything that you are trying to turn into a sustainable habit like eating healthy, working out, sleeping “clean” (it’s a thing…trust me), and/or posting your business on social media.

If you want to learn more about what I share with my customers, take a look at my Accelerate Your Success Resource Guide (newly updated) You can order it here.

* as defined by the Content Marketing Institute. Find them on the web here