3 Things to Prove "In Store" and Not in Your Commercials

30 seconds. That’s the amount of time you have to make someone listen up, and buy in. It isn’t a lot of time. And, if you don’t play that 30 second message enough, it may never make an impact. Unfortunately, I always hear the same statements in most radio commercials. Statements that don’t capture people’s attention. Statements that can’t be backed up. In general, these are statements that need to be proven to hold water. Remember, if you have to prove it in store, it may not belong in your radio message. Here are the worst offenders.

Great Service – You probably do have great service. But, everyone says the same thing. So, it isn’t an interesting or believable statement to make in your commercial. Service is very important though. It’s the main thing that will help you cash in on the most important form of advertising; word of mouth advertising. If your staff is terrible when your customer makes it to your establishment, you’ve probably lost them for good. And worse, you’ve probably lost everyone they tell their experience to as well. So yes, I understand, service is important. But, it is not a radio message. It is a very important “in store” advertisement.

Selection – This isn’t always true. There are some products/stores that will benefit from talking about the vast selection on offer. But, for the most part, it isn’t a great pitch. The dividing line here lies in the commonality of the product. If we’re talking about “cars” or “appliances,” we shouldn’t use selection as a ploy. If we’re talking about “beers on tap” or “BBQs” we might be able to make that fly. The reason being, you don’t often hear about places with 200 different BBQs. 200 cars on the lot is a very different story. You always want to deliver something new to your prospective audience. Don’t bore them with the same offerings that your competition is putting out there.

Best Products – This is another point that’s tough to prove on radio. For that reason, let’s leave it out. I’d like to believe that you offer the best products. The problem is “best” means a lot of different things to different people. What’s best for one person, is not the best for someone else. Also, this is another point that everyone jumps on. If everyone says they have the “best” product, the point is no longer worth noting.

Ack!! So what can you talk about!?!? Well, there’s plenty of stuff still! My first suggestion would be to quit talking about yourself and start talking about your potential clients. What are they like? What problems do they face? How can you possibly help them? Try to make a personal connection with your customers by including them in your advertising. If they hear the commercial, and picture themselves as an active participant within it, you’ll be more likely to stick in their minds in the future.

You have 30 seconds to entice them. You won’t be able to do that by talking about yourself. Talk about them, and you’ll keep them. That doesn’t make all these other points unimportant though. They are very important. They’re the pieces of the puzzle that will keep them coming back for more. Always make sure to leave something for your customer to be wowed by in your business when they arrive. It’s easier to show your fantastic service, selection, and products when they actually visit your business. Let’s just start by getting them in the door first.