cash flow business

I'm not a team sports guy. So, this time of year my head isn't spinning with Super Bowl afterthoughts or dreams of missed calls and dropped passes. But I did watch the Super Bowl. And I enjoyed it.

See, there is a not-so-obvious element of individual competition there that I like. In fact, it's probably the part that most of us casual observers enjoy most - the commercials. While Super Bowl commercials may not be the most cost effective use of a marketing budget (they have singlehandedly sunk large companies into financial ruin) they do provide good lessons for entrepreneurs like us.

How?

Well, it's hard to squeeze a message into 30 seconds. Near impossible. Yet, as a home business owner you MUST do it. And you must do it effectively if you want to leave a lasting impression.

"On whom," you ask?

On anyone and everyone you meet.

So, I always recommend that every home-based entrepreneur come up with his or her own "30 Second Face-to-Face Commercial." Word of mouth is your most powerful source of advertising. And it's free. But what better place to take a cue from than the $2.6 million sound bites on Super Bowl Sunday.

In 30 seconds you don't have time for detail. Instead, if necessary, who will forward the important messages, how to benefit customers and about what makes you feel you must.

Some commercials do it... Take FedEx's pre-historic slant on safe, reliable delivery.

Some commercials don't... Remember the cat in the kitchen from last year. Good. Now, remember what they were selling? NOPE.

When you're coming up with your personal commercial, consider these three points:

1) How do I describe what I do in less than five seconds?

If it takes longer than that, you're confusing your customer. If you make lawns greener, tell your customer that. If you help people free themselves of debt, say that. Don't bore your customers with details.

2) What is the number one benefit my company provides over anything else?

No matter what you're saying, your customer is thinking one thing: "How does this benefit me?" So, don't forget to tell them that. Volvos are safe. FedEx is reliable. BMW is the "Ultimate Driving Machine," packed with speed and performance. What are you offering EXACTLY? If you can summarize your key benefit in one sentence, you're doing well.

3) What should your customer do NOW?

This is the part most Super Bowl commercials forget. Tell you customer exactly what they should do next. Whether you want them to call you, have one of their clients call you, visit a web site or mail in a form... tell them exactly how you can help.

Maybe if the big spenders had listened to this advice, there would be a few less teary-eyed ad executives on Madison Avenue this month.

By the way, this years winners are...

FedEx...

GoDaddy...

And Burger King.

I think the Steelers might have won the game.

cash flow business