The conversation on Top of Mind status begins with my decision to re-examine and re-state the vision I have for my company. I invite you to interact, to experience, to explore, to learn, to mimic, to broaden - to become Top of Mind in your own sphere. Let’s start with a definition. Top of Mind for our purposes means that you come to mind first for the services that you offer. Your business is the first choice, the “go to” place, the preferred vendor for the service that you offer. As I see it, there are three components to achieving – and maintaining – top of mind status: The Desired Service + Superb Consumer Perceptions + Confirmation through Consistent Delivery = Top of Mind (translated: the service that the consumer wants, plus superb perceptions that the consumer has about your offering of that service, plus a confirmation of those perceptions through everything they see, hear, or experience about your business, leads to Top of Mind status.)
To achieve Top of Mind status: You – on behalf of your business - have to decide who you are and what you are selling and then consistently, repetitively and proactively convey it in a manner that is compelling in relation to why someone would buy your service over any other service or option for resolving their issue. The consumer will decide whether or not to give your business Top of Mind status based on any combination of:
The consumer’s decision may not be conscious, as in “I’m going to award Ace Widgets Top of Mind Status”. It’s more likely an accumulation that results in your name “coming to mind first” when the need for your services arises….or when someone else mention’s a need for your service (word-of-mouth). What’s significant is that “conveying” your message is not advertising; and it is this one point that has confused many a business owner. “Conveying” is a much more rounded approach. Conveying your message occurs through active and consistent demonstration of not just good client care, but client care done so well that (as Walt Disney was know to say) clients can’t resist telling others of their experience. It’s the delivery of your service with such quality that your clients notice the difference immediately. It’s the consistency of the service delivery, the consistency of the client care, the consistency of the message that becomes compelling. And it becomes so compelling that it arouses within the client an irresistible urge to tell lots of people of their experience. And it is this, combined with your consistent delivery that propels you to Top of Mind Status.
So how does all this translate into getting your telephone to ring?
I’ll cover that in another article. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a question: “How can you convey through client care and service delivery “who you are” and “what you are selling” in a way that is compelling? Drop me a note with your thoughts. Let’s get a dialogue going on this. If you are not on my mailing list, click here to get on it and receive 8 Marketing Strategy Tools just for joining (sign-up form on the right).
Points to Ponder: What makes something compelling? What does it mean to be compelling? What does irresistible level service look like? How have you defined "what you are selling"? Top of Mind versus Convenience – which is really the driver behind choices?
© 2005 Dianne E. Dawson. All rights reserved. |