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Mid-September, 2007
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Volume 2, Issue 8
In This Issue
1. A Note From the Coach
- Industry Giants
2. Featured Article:
- The Beckwith 40!
Special Guest Wisdom! – A Note From the Coach
Hey Friends!
One of the things I eagerly anticipate every month, aside
from the latest Popular Science, is the newest e-zine
edition of: Invisible Ink – Thoughts on Marketing From
Harry Beckwith. Harry is the best-selling author of such
business classics as: Selling the Invisible, What Clients
Love and You, Inc. His books have made a huge impact on
my view of effective marketing and greatly influences the
counsel I provide for my clients.
That’s why I am thrilled to have Harry as part of the
distinguished faculty for the 2008 Visibility Coach Platinum
Marketing Forum. www.visibilitycoach.com/forum
I was so bowled-over by his latest e-zine, that I asked him
if I could pass it along to my readers as well. He has graciously agreed. If you want
some powerful food-for-thought, read on and soak-in Harry’s list of “40 Conclusions”
about what motivates buyers.
Enjoy!
David Avrin
The Visibility Coach
What Motivates People: The Beckwith 40
Guest Article by Harry Beckwith – Best-Selling Business Author
Beginning in the sixth grade at Nehalem Upper
Elementary, when I read Vance Packard's The Hidden
Persuaders three times, I have spent 45 years trying to
understand what motivates people --particularly why they
choose one product rather than another seemingly
identical one.
I have arrived at some firm conclusions -- including, as
you will see, a reservation about firm conclusions.
These are the Beckwith 40:
Your biggest competitor is not a competitor; it's
your prospect's indifference.
Your
second-biggest
competitor
is
not a
competitor; it's your prospect's distrust.
Your biggest obstacle is whatever stereotype your prospect has formed about
you and your industry.
Prospects decide in the first five seconds.
Prospects don't try to make the best choice. They try to make the most
comfortable choice.
At heart, every prospect is risk-averse, and risks are always more vivid than
rewards.
Beware of what you think you know or have experienced; memories fail people
constantly.
For the same reason, beware of what others say they know or have
experienced.
Certainty is a trick your mind plays on you; keep yours open.
If everyone likes your idea, it's not an idea. Good ideas always make enemies.
Don't create something that everyone likes; create something that many
people love.
Research never shows anything; it only suggests.
Never take seriously what people say they think, because people are never
sure. Trust only action.
The more similar two things appear, the more important their tiny differences.
Accentuate the trivial.
Your most valuable salesperson is the person who answers your phones.
You must improve constantly, because people's expectations rise constantly.
Whatever you are doing, do it faster. Speed always sells.
People don't care how good you are. They care how good you can make them.
The best companies don't make the fewest mistakes; they make the best
corrections.
You cannot convince someone you have a superior product at a low price.
Make up your mind.
We call them "premium prices" because a higher price represents insurance
that your product will perform.
"Value" is not a compelling message or tenable marketing position, because
every product that survives in a market has demonstrated it gives value for the
price it commands.
Despite all the warnings, all people judge books by their covers.
People hear what they see; you must communicate visually.
The more complex our society becomes, the more valuable your brand
becomes.
When in doubt -- which is almost always -- people choose what feels familiar.
Brands do not just attract buyers; they improve customers' satisfaction. Brands
have placebo effects.
No intelligent person should be influenced by advertising, but every intelligent
person is.
Simplify everything: your name, your message, your design. Strip away
everything until only the essence remains.
If it takes 50 words to make your pitch, I will buy from the person who can do
it in 20.
Communicate one important message and people will think three good things
about you; communicate three messages and they will think nothing.
People don't learn from descriptions. They learn from stories.
If you prove it, you don't have to say it. If you don't prove it, saying it is a
waste of everyone's time.
There is no such thing as "best."
Ordinary names, ordinary words, and ordinary images warn us that you must
be ordinary, too.
Lincoln didn't have slides at Gettysburg.
Never criticize your competitors.
The fastest way to improve your communications is to cut them in half.
The second-fastest way is to try to eliminate every adjective.
The ultimate test of a communication: Does it make people stop what they are
doing?
To receive your free monthly copy of Harry Beckwith’s Invisible Ink, go to
www.harrybeckwith.com.
Harry Beckwith is the best-selling author of Selling the Invisible, which has been
named one of the top ten business books of all time, with over 675,000 copies sold in
14 translations. He is also author of The Invisible Touch and What Clients Love,
which have sold over 275,000 copies in 13 translations.
Platinum Marketing Forum
If Two Heads are Better Than One – What Could 12 Marketing Minds Mean For
Your Organization?
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David Avrin is known internationally as the Visibility Coach. A noted
speaker, author, publicist, branding consultant and executive coach, David
shows professionals how to stand apart and raise their profile in a
competitive marketplace. Visit him online at www.visibilitycoach.com
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