Talk about yourself to much and people lose interest. Educate people too much and people may never convert to customers. Sell too much and people may lose interest in you. What’s the key to creating a marketing message that results in sales without driving your customers away?

Today’s consumers want to make educated choices. Never talk down to them. Give them the information they need to make a decision and they will appreciate it. But does that mean that selling is forbidden? Hardly! The key is to form a marketing message that respects the intelligence of your consumer AND guides the consumer through a buying decision that, hopefully, results in more sales of your products and services.

Some insurance companies are advertising that they will shop other carriers and give you your best price, even if it is with a competitor. They eliminate the objection of price by actually telling you what their top competitors charge for the same services. They know their consumers are smart enough to know how to shop for insurance and they try to eliminate that by providing useful information to the shopper.

A very popular method of putting information into the hands of a consumer is a feature comparison chart. Sometimes they use this to highlight variations in their own product families, sometimes they use this to compare to their competitors. I would love to have an example of Company A with a comparison chart clearly illustrating superiority to Company B and they Company B has a chart proving they are superior to Company A. It is easy for this to happen. Company A could prove they have clearly a better product with over-the-top features, but Company B could prove they are the best because they have the best prices. Some consumers want best price, others want best product. Both messages work. They end up splitting the market. Both companies are the best for someone.

These methods are designed to educate the consumer, but also to guide them to a particular decision.

I talk to hundreds of consulting clients who believe word-of-mouth advertising is the best marketing for them. The truth is that they just have not figured out a way to market their products and services in a way consistent with their image.

Here are some guidelines to help you form a marketing message that is balanced and effective:

Inform, Don’t Teach – If you “teach”, then you are assuming your customer doesn’t know something. If you need to educate consumers, be careful to craft your message where you are not condescending to your customers or overwhelming them with knowledge that prevents them from making a buying decision. Your mission is to help them make an informed decision right now. Not to create an encyclopedia of information that buries your chance at making a sale.

Brand and Image – Most customers have a perceived relationship with whomever they buy from. Think about the local grocery stores in your area. You have a definable relationship with them based on your perceptions of quality, service, value, or location. Your business creates a relationship with your customers. Whether you are the best deal in the world, the one-night-stand of the Internet, or the go-to guy for a niche of some kind. There is a relationship. That relationship is your image. Your brand, your image, and your marketing need to consistently represent that relationship. A fine jewelry store cannot have cheesy marketing materials. A bargain basement company may want to create a warehouse feel to their products or services. Consumer lawyers frequently choose messages like, “The Hammer”, with a “Justice” and “Get It Done” feel to their message. Would you hire a civil attorney who said, “We will try hard”, or one that says, “We fight insurance companies every day and we get big results.” Know your customers and create a consistent brand, image, and marketing message. Every detail matters.

Sell, but don’t Sell – I frequently refer to the Billy Mays informercials as examples of how to sell. Billy Mays is a master at leading customers into a quick decision with information, demonstrations, and strong calls to action. You do not have to be as intense as Billy Mays, but his sales model is highly effective. His process is classic. Illustrate the problem. Demonstrate his solution solves that problem. Then creates the offer that is too good to be true. Finally he has his call to action. Ignore the over-the-top style of Billy Mays and just look at the formula. Then notice that nearly every commercial you see or hear on the radio follow this type of formula. Even an accountant can craft a message that follows this formula without it sounding like an infomercial. Take some time to craft a few messages following that formula for your business. Experiment. Craft a message that informs the buyer and leads him to make a decision and don’t forget the call to action.

The Call to Action – This is so important. Just add a phrase like, “Click Here” “Get Started Today” “Buy Now”, or whatever will result in more calls or sales or whatever. Just as if someone was in your office and you invited them to “sit down”, “let’s talk about your situation”, “let’s go for a test drive”, or whatever. People will do it because you asked them to. Consumers are not “sheep”, but they are cooperative and appreciate your leadership. If you can help someone make a decision, frequently they will follow your suggestion. That works on websites, direct mail, the telephone, and in person. Have you ever had a customer ask you, “How do we get started?” They are ready to go and want you to tell them what’s next. That’s the concept. Always assume your customer is ready to proceed and tell them how. If they are not interested, fine. But if they are interested, they will follow your suggestion. Never forget to make that suggestion. That’s your call to action.

There are dozens of topics ranging from graphical promotions, special offers, creating urgency, generating referrals, using testimonials, video, using FaceBook.com, Twitter.com, and much more. This topic could fill books. If you need help crafting a marketing message for your business, please hire a qualified professional marketing consultant to help you [yes, I can help you]. If you want to do it on your own, study other commercials and read a couple of Dan Kennedy books.