Better Sales Messaging for Owner-Operated Businesses
The old way of doing outreach is pretty well finished. Whatever you think of that messaging you spent all that time creating, your prospects have seen-it-all-before. It all just looks a bit jaded. But it’s not ALL bad news.
The good news is you don’t need to be massively different to have a much better effect.
You can learn how to ‘join the conversation already taking place’ and use that approach to get a conversation started with your clients. Once I’ve shown you how this works, you’ll kick youself for not reaching out like this all the time.
The Messaging Thought Gap
There's often a big difference between what you HOPE your prospect is thinking and what your prospect is ACTUALLY thinking.
I call that The Messaging Thought Gap.
And the part most sales messages avoid is often the most useful part: the prospect's negative thoughts. Their doubts. Their objections. Their previous disappointments. The thing they don't believe about your industry.
Don't rush past those thoughts to get to your benefits.
Start with the negative conversation. Show the prospect you understand it. Then tell them the positives.
Sales Messaging Articles
Why do sales letters fail?
Usually because your opening talks about YOUR solution, but the customer is far more concerned with THEIR situation.
What Should the First Sentence of a Sales Message Say?
Instead of automatically opening with a positive benefit, start with a negative thought the prospect already recognises — then explain the good news.
Why Do My Cold Emails Get Ignored?
Your positive claim may collide with a negative conversation already happening in the prospect's head. Start there instead.
Why Isn't My Sales Message Getting Any Replies?
The Messaging Thought Gap is the difference between what you hope your prospect thinks and what they're actually thinking.
How Should an Owner-Managed Business Approach Prospects?
Owner-managed businesses can use plain speaking to acknowledge doubts and objections before presenting the positive case.
How Do I Write a Better Sales Message?
Identify the negative belief first, acknowledge it honestly, and only then explain the positive.
About Mike Herberts
I’m just a normal person who did ok for himself in the world of sales and marketing. I became a consultant and started helping others about 20 years ago.
I learned, after a lot of trial and error how to reach out to clients in a slightly different way to what I saw going on around me.
My way of doing outreach is much more honest that other approaches I been taught and very different to those I see being used today.