At the End of Every Tooth is a Human
So I'm sitting in the farthest chair from the stage in the back of one of those big airwall ballrooms at some convention for dentists. Since I gave the same motivational keynote speech, almost word for word, at every booking - I rarely took the time to even find who the name of the meeting, usually.
But today I'm bored out of my gourd enough to leave the hotel room and go see what is going on in the conference, a couple hours before I give the closing keynote for that day.
In that subtle way life has of humbling me an my sizeable ego - I got a giant a-ha from the opening line of a dental professional - whom I'm willing to bet will be an awful speaker even before I heard him
See, I'm a kind of a weird collector of pithy phrases, killer quotes, and clever verbiage. For some unknown I"ve been able to capture the spoken word and remember it my entire life - verbatim - just like I have always been able to do with pop music lyrics and later, good lines from films I"ve seen.
I won't make you wait any longer - cause this one is really important for marketers (and the entire human race, in my humble, but accurate opinion) so listen up.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "always remember that at the end of every tooth - is a human being."
That's it.
Do you get it?
Your market, your customer, regardless of how tightly you've niched your traffic and your offer - are people.
They have hopes, dreams, afflictions, pain, sorrow, hopes, values, and are in the middle of a very human day with 1000 other things going on when they encounter your ad, blog post, adwords ad, YouTube video or article.
If you can remember this one single idea as you craft your business you will be light years ahead of the people who will forever remain lost in the clicks, conversions and margins.
Maybe this means cross selling across your niche. Organic pet food customers also buy cars. Maybe it means finding that 3% competitive edge by tying your product into their wants and needs in a more real way?
How can you put a little more humanness in your marketing? Hey, maybe even in your life?
Filed under Blogroll, Motivation | Success, Social Marketing, World According to Rick by Rick
Comments on At the End of Every Tooth is a Human »
I love this saying - I'm glad you've collected it, so that I may now, too! It's really made me stop and THINK about the moms, etc., who buy my letters for their children. I can't really even quite put it into words, but, since the first time I heard you say it - it has been an 'A-ha!' for me, too.
Maybe the best way to explain is just to say that my brain has switched from thinking, 'How many letters did I sell this month? How can I sell more? I need to sell more…' to… 'Oh, these moms, PEOPLE, that are interested in my product, what is it they hope to get from me? And how is it they want their child to benefit from their package?' etc
Something like that. You know, sometimes 'a-ha' moments are so much like spiritual experiences - when you attempt to put them into words, it just doesn't cut it.
But, thanks, Rick - for sharing with us!
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