Love, seduction and being heard

Communicating is easy. After all, we've done it all our lives and do it every day. Yet there is a big difference in saying something and actually being heard. And when it comes to marketing communication we can sometimes forget there is a real live human being on the other end. We tend to focus on we want not what they want.

I like to think of engaging with your customers is a seduction. It’s about making yourself irresistible to them. Making them choose you over someone else every time. And creating relationships that last. Here's some top tips for seducing your customers.

Work out whose heart you want to win. You can only seduce someone who wants to be seduced. So don’t try to win everyone. Seek out the people whose attitudes, behaviours and world view would be responsive to your message.

Listen to them. What are they doing, seeing, saying, when and with whom? Spend some time in their shoes – so that you really understand what keeps them awake at night, their needs and dreams. When you really listen you will connect with insights that make all the difference.

Place a value on yourself. You have to love yourself before someone else will. Be clear about what it is your enterprise does best - your unique selling point – and make sure you what you are delivering is what your stakeholders value too.

Create desire. Focus on what your customer gets not what you do. If you are running workshops with young people - you are not selling a workshop – you are selling hope, inspiration, life choices. When you focus on the “what’s in it for me” you will make more powerful connections.

Be passionate. Your communication needs to engage both the rational and the emotional. We remember things that cause an emotional reaction so seek to provoke a response in your audience.

Dont make empty promised. Demonstrate your message whenever possible. There is no point is saying you do something in your marketing materials when in reality your customers don't get this.

Don’t put fluff in their ears. Ask yourself whether what you are saying is important and meaningful and if it isn’t - say nothing at all.

Close the deal. Have a call to action of some sort. Whether that’s to download something, make a next appointment, get more information, subscribe – think about what you want people to think, feel or do as a result of your communication.

You can write so your audience hears you. You can present your message in a place and in a manner that entices people to want to listen. But the starting point is not you. It’s your customers and the relationship you want to build with them.