Growing a business can be an immense challenge, especially for small and mid-size companies. With no shortage of obstacles, from breaking through the noise to convincing clients to take action, growth requires strategic thinking. According to sales and marketing expert Scott Boulas, overcoming these hurdles begins with focusing your messaging, simplifying your offers, and testing different approaches.
Intimately Understand Your Target Customer
As the CEO of North America for MRI device provider, MROpen Evo, Scott has built his expertise by zooming in on specific target clients. As Scott advised, “I want you to get really clear on who your ICP is, or ideal client profile.”
In a world saturated with marketing messages, Scott stresses the need to intimately understand your ideal customer. “I want you to think about, heck, what they look like, what kinds of job titles, what are the business challenges they’re facing, who are the alternatives to your solution, what their challenges are,” he explained. This strategic approach is vital for any company hoping to stand out.
By developing marketing messages focused on one potential buyer at a time, you can break through the overwhelming clutter consumers face daily. Scott noted that industry research indicates people receive anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of marketing messages per month. With this volume, most messages simply get tuned out entirely. The key is speaking directly to your target customer’s needs and pain points one decision maker at a time.
Carefully Craft Your Messaging
Along with focusing on specific buyer personas, Scott emphasized the need to meticulously develop your messaging. “Research and start testing your messaging,” he advised. Since messaging resonates differently across various demographics, companies must experiment to find what works.
Scott suggested reading your target consumers’ LinkedIn profiles and publications to discern the language and messaging that engages them. He stated, “Use the language they use. Read all of their LinkedIn profiles. I think it’s really, really important.” Matching your tone and vocabulary to your audience is crucial for making meaningful connections. Consume your ideal client’s content and make thoughtful comments. Do this over and over again, and soon you will be able to connect with senior leaders at your client who also are interacting and notice you have a valuable and provocative point of view.
Remove Roadblocks and Risk
Another key challenge Scott identified was overcoming customers’ inertia. As he explained, “The number one competitor all businesses have is status quo.” With so much fear of making the wrong choice, it becomes easier for many customers to simply maintain their current situation.
To preempt this hesitation, Scott recommended that businesses “make it simple to do business with you and remove risk.” Removing roadblocks and uncertainty for the customer is vital to convincing them to take action. Use Social Proof judiciously throughout your outreach. Scott noted that every executive fears choosing wrongly more than anything, so companies must mitigate this concern upfront.
Experiment With Your Offer
A final tip Scott offered was to test various approaches to your offer or program. He emphasized the power of slight messaging tweaks and pricing shifts. As an example, Scott described how he helped a client increase sales by 40% by changing one word in their marketing.
By modifying their ‘diet and exercise plan’ to a ‘diet and exercise program’, the offer held more perceived value. After this initial messaging experiment, Scott convinced them to raise prices by 10% as well, leveraging the resonance of the new term. For any business, testing different language and offers can yield optimal results. As Scott stated, “You want to try different options, and you want to see what kind of success that you have.” Double down on what works.
Focus on Expertise, Not Breadth
In closing, Scott reiterated the importance of focus over breadth. “Being an expert is not about doing thousands of things five times each,” he affirmed. True expertise comes from mastering a narrow, strategic set of capabilities rather than diluting your efforts across too many tangents.
By carefully identifying your perfect customer, crafting targeted messaging, removing friction, and constantly testing approaches, any company can breakthrough clutter and drive growth. For the guidance required to hone this expertise, Scott encouraged leaders to find an advisor or coach. With these insights in mind, businesses can move confidently toward expansion and success.
To learn more about Scott Boulas and his approach, check out his LinkedIn profile.
