Microsoft conducted a widely publicized study a few years ago which concluded that the human attention span had dropped from 12 seconds in 2002 to only eight seconds in 2013. That is a mere second shy of a goldfish’s attention span! Since that 2013 study, I can only imagine that the human attention span has gotten worse, which is certainly not good news from a marketing perspective.
The biggest reason why attention spans are shortening is the massive amounts of info and data we are hit with on a daily basis. Just take a quick glance at your social media, inbox, text messages and DMs to start. Then, look at the ever-expanding entertainment choices we have –for video, we have myriad TV channels, plus Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Youtube, etc.; for music, the platforms are numerous – from Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Itunes, Apple Music and beyond. I could go on and on about the abundance of information and choices we have in all facets of our daily lives, but you get the idea.
Because of this constant barrage of data, plus an overflow of choices, we live in the most difficult time in history to attract new clients willing to make a purchasing decision. There are two primary reasons: It is difficult to get your business noticed in this environment; and if it does get noticed, and the message is boring and not compelling, you get shut out quickly.
On the other hand, it is also likely the easiest time in history to get someone to make their second purchase from you. With this daily onslaught of info and data and choices, happy clients – the ones who Know, Like and Trust you (the KLT principle) – are going to come back again and again for their security needs instead of trying to cut through all the clutter to find a new security dealer. Additionally, a naturally occurring byproduct of all this “happiness” is that these cheerful clients will refer your security business to family, friends and colleagues for their security needs.
Thus, first and foremost, your job is to make sure your clients are happy with your company and the services you provide; second, you must put your company name in front of them on a regular basis. Here are five good ways to do that:
1. Company newsletters: They should have interesting and engaging content. If you have boring content, you will just turn off your clients. So do NOT make it all about security! Include interesting articles, puzzles, quizzes, recipes, quotes, etc.
2. Social media: In the same vein, do not just post security-related stuff – post interesting and engaging stuff, too. Some examples include: behind-the-scenes work photos; inspirational messages; installation photos and pictures of your security systems in action; funny case studies; product and promotional giveaways (e.g. free movie tickets); happy holiday messages (especially off-holidays); safety tips and tricks; photos from company events; or local news and interesting local fire and police postings.
3. Off-holiday postcards, emails and posting: Utilize the lesser known holidays to send your prospects and clients a special holiday offer. Some sample off-holidays are: National Burger Day, National Doughnut Day, National Ice Cream Day, International Coffee Day, National Pet Day, etc.
4. Referrals: Have a referral system in place where your happy clients can refer your security business. Referrals are by far the easiest way to get more clients – because the folks being referred to you are getting that referral from someone they Know, Like and Trust!
5. Client testimonials: Gather client testimonials and include them as handouts when you meet new prospects, plus use the testimonials in your company newsletters, and on your website and social media posts. Client testimonials instill confidence and trust, and help remove any reservations prospect may have – especially if the testimonials are locally sourced from a neighbor or local business.
Bob Maunsell is the President of SecurityMarketingGuru.com. He helps security dealers through his innovative Robotic Security Selling Systems™. Contact him at [email protected] or call 508-835-1123.
