Australian School of Copywriting

The very first and most important question I always ask my copywriting clients is:

What do you sell?

I know that sounds really obvious – “of course I know what I sell” they say – but if you really think about this question, you’ll find it’s a bit more complex than you may have originally thought.

Let me give you an example:

I had a client once and I asked what he did – he said “I’m a Financial Advisor.”

I said: “So what do you sell?”

He said:  “Financial products!”

I said: “So what do you really sell?

He said, testily, “Financial products! I sell Finance!!”

I said “Well, if you financial products, I think you’re business is in trouble because people don’t buy financial products – they buy the results of the financial product – less debt, insider knowledge, first class airline seats to London, quality time with the children, peace of mind – that’s what financial products do for people.”

He just looked at me for a few seconds and in that moment he realized why he’d had so many hassles marketing his business – he’d been promoting the wrong thing. 

In other words, he’d been promoting the feature and not the benefit.

This is what happens to lots of business owners – they think they’re selling one thing when in fact the client is buying another. 

So, with that in mind, what do you sell?  What do you really sell?

It’s a simple question but more complex than you think. 

If you’d like help with working it out, download this ebook ‘How To Write Copy For Your Website’ and take a look at the Top 10 Reasons Why People Buy Anything on page 9. You’ll discover very quickly what motivates people to buy your product or service. 

It’ll take 60 seconds to read this list (promise) and believe me, just knowing exactly what you sell will redefine the way you market your business.

When you know what business you’re in, it’s not only easier to market what you have, but it helps you uncover who your real competitors are.

Think Financial Advisors – their competition ranges from the obvious: banks, mortgage brokers, accountants, but can also include Business Coaches offering financial mentoring services.   

So if Financial Advisors are not just in the financial advisory business but in the ‘coaching business’ too, how does this change the way Advisors market themselves?

Well, for starters, it’s essential they view that vast market of business coaches not as competitors, but as collaborators. This would be an enormous opportunity for the Advisor because of instead of seeing these coaches as potential threats, they could be an untapped source of new business for the Advisor.

For example:

• What if the Financial Advisor was to joint venture with a business coaching company to offer specialised financial advice for the coach’s existing range of clients?  
• What if the Advisor offered to run a 1-hour webinar for the coach’s clients as a complimentary service?
• What if the Advisor offered the coach a complimentary ebook to pass onto to the coach’s clients?

The result?

• The coach provides their client with high-quality content.
• The Advisor gets exposed to a whole new range of potential clients. 
• The client gets great information from an expert on finances. 

Everyone wins.

Suddenly, a whole new market of clients open up for the financial advisor that didn’t exist before.

So, who are your competitors and what strategic alliances could you create that would open up new opportunities for your business right now?

Take a moment now before you return to your hectic day to make a few notes, take action on one of them and see what happens.  Success happens in that moment of decision.

PS: This may seem like a lot of work but it’s the essence of what your copywriter should be offering you. If they’re not or you’ve never used a copywriter, call me and I’ll give you some other ideas on how you can be creative, clever and cost-effective in creating new marketing opportunities.