Marketing Without a Hitch?

If you've been struggling to attract new clients to your business, stop and think. If you're selling something people have never seen before, then you need to educate them - and that takes both time and money. But more likely, you're just another business in the pool of choices for people.

Think of your prospects as cars on a road and your business as a hitchhiker on the side of the road, looking for a car to stop and give you a lift. Cars in the fast lane won't even notice you - you're not in their field of vision. They have too much invested in going fast and simply being on the side of the road won't inspire them to slow down, switch lanes, and apply the brakes. Cars in the slow lane are more likely to stop - they have time to look you over and perhaps read your sign for help ("Car Died. Need Lift To Work.") If your message/presentation invokes trust, then someone is likely to stop.

Customers are likewise busy driving about. If they are fiercely loyal to certain brands/companies, then they are in the fast lane. They're not looking to switch brands, maybe just switch to the latest offering. So, you're unlikely to be noticed by them. Instead, focus on people who are entering the roadway - those that have no loyalty yet and are looking for a solution to their problem. If you have the right message for them, you're likely to get noticed. If you have the right offer and the right trust level, you're likely to have people slow down to check you out. And perhaps, have them stop and pick you up from the side of the road (and tell their friends about you as well).

Focus your message on those that are likely to want to hear it.