Marketing literature is full of buzz words like “customer-oriented”, “client-centric”, “customer-driven”, etc. They all mean roughly the same thing, i.e., everything we do and say as marketers should be focused on addressing the needs and wants of customers and prospects.

Who could argue with that?

But, on a day-to-day practical level, how exactly can you make sure this actually happens – in your marketing programs?

There are several things you can do but, today, I’ll focus on just one of them. It’s called the “WIIFM” question.

WIIFM stands for, “What’s In It For Me”?

This is a question that every client and prospect uses to “filter” marketing and sales messages – including yours and mine.

Every day, we are bombarded with marketing messages. Some capture our attention and interest. Most don’t. The ones that do are relevant to a need, problem, interest, desire, etc. that we have at the time. In other words, there is “something in it for me” to process, and maybe even respond to, the message.

This is a psychological process that goes on regardless of whether the message is delivered by mail, phone, radio, TV, or any other medium.

 If your messages pass the WIIFM test, you may get the response you hope for. If they don’t, you will probably be disappointed.

So, improving your communications to pass the WIIFM test could have a big impact on your marketing success.

First, evaluate what you’ve already done.

Collect as many of your recent marketing messages/materials as possible.

Sit down and evaluate each one against the WIIFM question. Remember, you have to adopt the point of view of prospects and clients, i.e., whoever you were targeting with your communication.

It doesn’t matter why you thought the message was important. What would their answer be?

Did you call a client or send an email about the latest promotion from one of your suppliers? WIIFM?

Did you run an ad that mostly featured the name of your business and/or a few cruises with “from” prices attached? WIIFM?

Does the first page of your website feature a list of products and destinations with supplier logos? WIIFM?

Evaluate everything with a critical eye.

Next, analyze how you filter marketing messages that you are exposed to every day.

One thing you will notice is how automatic this filtering process is. Applying the WIIFM test is almost like a reflex.

Now that you are consciously paying attention, another thing you will notice is that a lot of marketing communication (maybe even your own) does not pass the WIIFM test.

A lot is about WWS (What We Sell), or WIA (Who I Am), or WWD (What We Do).

Now, that’s Ok as long as the customer or prospect is looking for that information. But, usually they’re not.

The most effective marketing messages are those that hit us where it counts – where we have a problem to solve, need to meet, desire or interest to fulfill, etc.

That’s why, when you send out the “deals of the week” to your mailing list or run an ad just to “get my name out there”, you get so little response. Most who get that information don’t care at the time. There’s nothing in it for them.

If you continue to put out material to prospects and clients that does not pass the WIIFM test, you will train them to automatically filter out your messages. Worse yet, you might damage your relationship with them.

Finally, screen all future marketing materials and messages with the WIIFM question.

Again, remember that you have to ask that question from the perspective of the client or prospect to whom the message is targeted.

That means you have to know something about them.

If that’s a problem, then maybe you need to learn more about your target clients and prospects.

What is the most important travel-related problem, need, desire, interest, etc. that your clients have right now?

What are their future plans for travel? What are they thinking about or researching on the internet?

If you don’t know the answers to questions like that, it will be hard to screen your communications using the WIIFM question.

Commit to working the WIIFM question into the fabric of your business in this coming year. If you do, the power and productivity of your marketing should improve dramatically.

From TravelAgentSuccess
The Travel Agent's Marketing Newsletter
© 2004-2006 Carl Bennink. All rights reserved.

Carl Bennink is one of the leading relational marketing experts within the travel industry. To obtain your FREE subscription, contact the author, or get more information and resources to improve your marketing success, visit http://www.TravelAgentSuccess.com

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