Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Less is More

(1:05) When I decided to develop a weekly newsletter for marinas, the goal was for each one to only take about a minute of your time. I knew you were busy and doubted I could reliably expect more.

(0:59) I was right. The response has been overwhelming and I thank you for that.

(0:57) I often coach new Partners on the importance of keeping their promotional messages short and to the point. Unfortunately, I too often see messages that are long and unfocused. They give me the feeling that the author is trying desperately to win me over. Instead, they fail to gain my attention.

(0:47) Did you know that the Gettysburg Address, considered to be one of the most powerful speeches of all time, was only 272 words long? That's shorter than this Minute.

(0:42) The reality is that the longer your message, the less likely you will be to get through to your customer. You are far better off with a brief, killer message. So how can you accomplish that?

(0:36) 1. Less is more. Keep your message brief and to the point. One technique recommends that you treat every word as if it costs you $100. You will not only quickly eliminate the unnecessary ones, you will more carefully selected the ones you do use.

(0:29) 2. Focus. Don't try to convey every amenity or advantage you have. Select one, or maybe two points you want to get across and develop a strong message around that. Long lists of the amenities you offer or paragraphs and paragraphs about your marina will typically be ignored.

(0:19) 3. Speak to your audience. Read your communication from the perspective of the recipient. Are you offering them something new? Interesting? Valuable? If not, eliminate it.

(0:14) 4. Edit. Set your message aside for a few hours and then read it again. Be critical and look for words, or even paragraphs, that can be eliminated.

(0:09) I am able to get my messages through because you only have to give me a minute. You're likely to get even less time from a boater.

(0:05) Become skilled at presenting a brief, relevant, and appealing message and you will see more business.

(0:02) And that's the marina minute.