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I’m a 3-year BNI member and the education guy in our group.  I also write advertisements for a living.  Isn’t a BNI 60-Second Commercial or Sales Manager Moment really an advertisement?  Isn’t it a sales message? 

I’d like to share one way that you could do a 60-Second Commercial at your next BNI meeting.

First, consider this:  What does your product or service do for your customers?

That’s a question that might have hundreds of answers.  But just a few of those answers will “hit home” with the majority of your current and past customers. Figuring out the most relevant answer to this question is key to creating an effective sales message.

When you need to create an advertisement, email, sales letter, BNI 60-Second Commercial, direct mail postcard—anything related to sales and marketing—pretend that one person (your prospect) has a problem, a problem you can fix.

In your sales message, address the problem first.  Addressing your prospect’s problem gets their attention.  They think, Hey, I’ve got that same issue.  I wonder what they’re going to do about it. It’s best to be specific in your sales message.  The more specific your message, the better you’ll connect with your audience and attract their full attention.

Now that you’ve got them “hooked” for a few more seconds, what’s next? Personally, I like to tell a short story about how one of my customers had a particular problem.  I give details about their problem, and then share exactly what I did to make their problem disappear.  People love stories, and they also like to hear that they are not the only ones with that same problem.

Finally, briefly summarize everything. Remind them of their problem, let them know how you would fix it, and tell them to contact you regarding their similar problem.

There are many different angles and creative ways to tell your prospect how you can help them.  Just remember that your potential new customers don’t really give a darn about your product or service; they just want to know if you can get rid of their problem.

A final note: There’s no one way to give a 60-Second Commercial.  Don’t get caught up in what you think a 60-Second Commercial should sound like.  Don’t be afraid to break the rules.  If you give the same commercial week-in and week-out, you’re training your fellow BNI members to forget you. 

I don’t want you to take three hours to come up with a good commercial.  You’ll never create the perfect one.  You have many stories to share about how you can help people. Don’t try to cram everything into one.  Attend every week, and feed us a bit of new information each time.  You may think we know everything about your business, but we don’t.

Duane Christensen specializes in persuasive writing.  He writes, scribbles, re-writes, brainstorms, and researches to create better sales messages for his clients.  It’s all about attracting new customers and leads for them.  He also teaches you to write better sales messages on your own. www.nonfatadvertising.com


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