audience Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

07
Jul 21
-

Business Story, Are You Telling It?

Tags : audience business customers sales story

What is your business story? Are you being clear, or vague about what you do and what you offer? Is your story worth sharing?

Gaining customers is part of every business. It doesn’t matter if it is a for-profit or a non-profit, people engaging with your work mean that you have something of value. A traditional business grows through revenue, a non-profit might grow or succeed when more people are interested to support the cause.

Services, products, and even ideas can become a movement.

Home repair services needed, see you next month.

The latest iPhone or related product, get in-line, or better yet pre-order.

It is true about any place where lines form and people wait. It might also be true about political movements, causes, and as the pandemic eases, true about rock concerts or outdoor sporting events.

All of these things start with a story. Stories bring in new customers, they also refresh and in best cases, energize existing customers.

What is your business story?

Is it working?

Business Story

Have you asked yourself, “Who is the customer?” And a secondary question, “What does the customer want?”

Any business or organization needs to develop a base. A base of followers, leaders, and those who are eager to share.

It is commonplace to suggest the customer is anyone who buys your product or service. It may be anyone who donates, volunteers, or shares your message.

A definition that is too broad means the story won’t resonate.

A Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or an Aston Martin car may not be for you. It may also be true for the Chevrolet Spark, or a Mitsubishi Mirage.

Louis Vuitton shoes aren’t for everyone.

Yet all of these offerings have their space.

Not every business or non-profit succeeds because they are all things to all people. The most successful are the right things, to the right people, at exactly the right time.

A small but viable audience can be much more powerful than shouting your brand name without a microphone at a sold-out rock concert.

Pokémon, doesn’t matter much to many adults. Likely, only adults with kids or grandkids, and perhaps for Santa Claus.

Tell your story to the audience that matters. Size might be a factor for your success, yet it often starts by appropriately serving the smallest viable audience.

Your story repeated by one customer may create two or three new customers.

People engage with stories.

Have a good story.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

18
Jan 21
-

Targeted Work Is Always Better Than None At All

Tags : audience niche products satisfy work

Do you do targeted work? Meaning work that is for a specific audience or customer. What if you did nothing because you couldn’t satisfy everyone?

It happens often. The quest to please everyone is often stronger than the quest to please a few. Many people struggle with trying to please.

Is it a sticking point for you?

A chocolate frosted donut won’t please everyone. Should you have no donuts on offer at all?

The same is true for pink cell phone cases, orange pickup trucks, and black coffee. Not everyone wants those things. Should you not offer any at all?

It is a simple case really. For every niche or specialty, you’ll find someone not satisfied. They don’t like or appreciate what is on offer. They would sooner refuse the offer and walk away than take it as is.

You don’t have to satisfy everyone. The cost of trying to do so often makes people retract which leads to satisfying no one. It’s a cost you shouldn’t bear.

Targeted Work

In the workplace it is true for the products and services you provide. It is true for how you communicate with the team.

When you provide training or give a talk. You provide too much information or details for some, and not enough for others. Your sense of charm or humor will entice some, and turn off others.

It likely doesn’t mean that your products and services are without value. It doesn’t mean that the training or pep talk shouldn’t be given.

Being a contributor requires risk. The reward is that you’ll satisfy someone.

It seems like a far better outcome when compared with satisfying no one.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

24
Jun 20
-

Marketing Noise and Your Branding Voice

Tags : audience internet marketing noise tribe

Is the plan to make some marketing noise? How will you reach your target audience?

For most, the first thought has something to do with the internet. Social feeds, videos, podcast, and email blasts. In one form or another, all brought to you by some form of internet streaming.

Then there is the brutal truth of it all.

The brutal truth is, most of what happens on all of these channels is nothing more than noise. Noise that the masses don’t care to see, hear, or read.

For your market though, for your tribe, your network, and your true followers, it’s not just noise.

There is a good chance that your audience is not as large as you might believe. Your audience is probably better described as the smallest viable audience instead of the concept that hundreds of thousands of people will see, hear, or read your message.

Marketing Noise

Your branding voice is for your smallest viable audience.

It is the people or businesses that really want to experience your noise. They care, they’re inspired, and they would miss you if you went away.

It doesn’t matter if your product or service is about baseball, weddings, or footwear. Your audience, but not the world, cares.

Be mindful of what you show them. Their attention spans are still limited and they have to look for you through a sea of noise.

Be timely. It is a delicate balance where more, is sometimes less.

Most of all ensure value. That starts by understanding what your market really wants or perceives as a need. Think carefully, because it may not always be as it appears to be at first glance.

If you’re going to make some noise. Make the right noise to the right people.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

22
Mar 18
-

Meeting Voice, Do You Have It?

Tags : audience leadership meeting management voice

It would not take you long to find someone in your workplace who absolutely dreads going to meetings. Are the meetings really that boring and uninformative? Are they a waste of time? Does someone have meeting voice?

Meeting voice is a condition. Many people chairing meetings have it. It is Charlie Brown’s teacher. So now, you know.

Attention Span

How is it in a first world country where there is so much technology people have stopped listening? Many people believe that their uptake on information is at astounding levels. So much so that they don’t even need to listen any more. When in doubt they may just ask Siri.

The reality may be that there is so much noise, so much clutter, that people have stopped listening.

Savvy Marketers

This drives the marketer crazy. It requires a degree in psychology to reach the target audience. The savvy marketer will find a voice though. It is well known that meeting voice won’t reach the target audience, build connections, or sell products. Mad Men knew this in the 1960’s and it is still true today.

People probably aren’t going to listen closely if it is hard. The easy route is faster, safer, and requires less energy.

Technology Surf

Mobile is growing in popularity. People surf their smartphones for nearly everything. They don’t do a deep dive, they don’t want the details. They want headliners, fast punch lines and sub sixty-second videos. People are scanning, they aren’t reading or studying.

What happens with all of this activity? Certainly there is miscommunication. Nobody is reading the fine print, details don’t matter, and who needs to learn when you can just ask.

What does this have to do with meeting voice? Meeting voice is a condition you don’t want. If you’re going to speak you’re going to have to be direct. Hours and hours of meetings are likely not effective.

No More Meeting Voice

There is so much noise in people’s heads. If even they hear you, it doesn’t mean they’re listening. They may be present, but they are not engaged. Some will claim information overload, others will miss the call to action completely.

If you are going to have effective meetings, you are going to have lose the meeting voice. Otherwise, you’ll notice more of the technology prayer. A condition easily spotted when a person is surfing their smartphone while holding it just below the tabletop.

Think more like the marketer. It will help.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: audience

Jul 21

-

Business Story, Are You Telling It?

Business Story

Jan 21

-

Targeted Work Is Always Better Than None At All

Targeted Work

Jun 20

-

Marketing Noise and Your Branding Voice

Marketing Noise

Mar 18

-

Meeting Voice, Do You Have It?

Attention Span

Savvy Marketers

Technology Surf

No More Meeting Voice

Search This Website

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Blog (Filter) Categories

Facebook

Follow me on Twitter

Assessment Services and Tools

Recent Posts

Sweet Spot Is An Attempt To Please Everyone

Status Quo Defense, Is That Your Position?

Are Social Metrics Valuable or Just Hype?

Valued Services Are a Measurement Of The Customer

Beautiful Jobs, Have You Lost One or Found One?

Email Signup

Subscribe to newsletter

Contact Info