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August, 2002 |
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ABOUT FSO |
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About NAIFA |
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Learning the basics of modern media and broadcasting will help you better understand the new realities of marketing communication. Let me illustrate this by telling you a real story of a bad news day. Some years ago I was a broadcast announcer and program manager on an international radio station. One day we had recorded a magazine format program for later airing on a late night show that reached all of North and South America. Before the program was aired, word came across the newswire of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II. Literally the world held its breath. What would happen? This meant that the previously recorded program (just a few hours ago) of light news and commentary was now irrelevant and out of touch. What do we do? No problem. We throw away the old recorded program, go live, and speak our message to the present moment. We could change our message in an hour and go to what I call today, point-of-the-moment message marketing. This is a vital marketing principle. The modern media exploit this principle all the time. They are live, right there, at the moment almost all the time. We now live in an age of real time news and information. This changes everything. I am now challenging many of my clients as to whether they should invest a great deal of money in paper brochures because by their very nature, they lack the power of point-of-the-moment marketing. As a broadcaster and communications coach I know that the more your message can be reinforced by what people are talking about at the moment; in the culture, in the café and on the streets, the greater will be your impact. That's why today's advisor should be very well informed not only about their business specialty, but by the issues that people are coming across every day in their work, their lives, and fast changing world. When you can do that, people remember what you say because it connects experientially; and that kind of connection can lead to action. Information, even timeless information, does not lead to action. Timeless principles and long term strategies are valuable and important in planning a life and business, but timeless principles are best heard and understood when they are communicated in terms of today's events. For instance when the Pope was shot, a bystander was heard to say, "It's terrible, It's like shooting God." We picked up on that theme for our program and then took some eternal principles about human behavior and then expressed them in a message of the moment. The response was overwhelming. Speak to the moment. One of the media technicians who helps me prepare video CD's as part of point-of-the-moment programs for financial advisors, said about the new and powerful instant electronic communications, "The paper brochure is history." I think he is close to the truth. The challenge before you is thrilling and will stretch you to become powerful communicators and point of the moment marketers. As a coach, let me challenge you to do the following:
Years ago Bob Dylan said the times they are a changinÖ they still are! Are you ready for the new reality?
Stan Hustad is the leader of the PTM Group a performance coaching and personal performance marketing service to the insurance and investment industry. His program, The Difference Is You helps insurance and financial advisors market themselves with confidence, creativity, and high impact. He can be reached at (612) 729-0420, Fax (612) 729-0962, e-mail: ptmark @aol.com, or visit his web site at www.ptmgroup.com |
