Build a Case for Your Product or Service - Part 3

We've been talking about building a case for your business like an attorney builds a case for his client. Here's more:

For example, I needed my fence rebuilt in my backyard. And I didn't know a thing about fences, so the only thing I knew to do was open the Yellow Pages and call around using the usual ridiculous process - asking for bids. I got bids from 4 different companies, and the prices varied from about $2,500 to $3,300. So who would you go with? The lowest price, right? Well, that depends.

I called back one of the contractors - the lowest priced one - to ask about their time schedule, and told them that I had gotten bids from 4 companies, and that I was strongly considering using them. The contractor then proceeded to give me a short but thorough education about what I needed to know about building a fence. The contractor said, make sure when comparing bids that the price includes pressure treated rails and posts, that the rails are 2 by 4's instead of the standard 2 by 3's, and that the gates have 4 hinges each instead of just 2 or 3. So I called back each of the other 3 companies and found that none of them had quoted me on pressure treated rails or posts, 2 by 4 rails, or 4 hinges per gate. They all wanted an extra $300 to $400 for those "upgrades." Guess who I bought the fence from?

The company that has the ability to delineate what things are important when buying, is the one that gets the business. Or in other words, the company that builds a case. Unfortunately, the fence contractor had not communicated this in any of their advertisements. They had to wait until a second phone call from a prospect to educate him. So you've got to figure out what's important for your customers to know when evaluating their options. Once you determine what the important points are, the next thing to do is SAY IT WELL

So think about your advertising strategy: What kinds of evidence can you produce that would give credibility to your case and make people want to buy? Once you have evidence, which pieces should you use, and when? In advertising, you always use your biggest piece first. If you have the murder weapon, the smoking gun, so to speak, pull it out immediately. This would be your main selling advantage. Whatever your individual points are, just remember to BUILD A CASE!

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