Using Expectations to Your Advantage
02.06.09

Written on assignment for Auctioneer magazine, March 2009 edition.

If you’ve been in the auction business for any length of time, you’ve had to compete with stereotypes associated with the auction marketing method. Many in the public consider auctions as only a last-ditch effort for distress properties or dire situations. Others see it as a democratic, self-serve [ebay-esque] deal with which they need no help from a professional. Yet others see auctioneers as fitting for a charity fund raiser but not for their personal or commercial assets.

So, how do you combat those preconceived notions? How do you market your profession and your business in light of entrenched skepticism?

To get insight into the practical side of this, I talked to my chiropractor, Dr. Will Likins. While his profession is culturally marred by unprofessional competitors and professional snake oil sellers, his practice was the first and only medical firm to ever earn “Small Business of the Year” in our city--a hospital town with a medical heritage predating its days as a Confederate military infirmary.

“I accept that there are bad chiropractors but recognize they have no influence on my practice,“ Dr. Likins told me. “If I am confronted by a person who has a preconceived idea about what I do, there is nothing I can say to change that.” Then he added, “People don’t care what you say, it’s what you do. Sometimes verbal self defense in itself is suspicious”

You can’t shrug everybody who holds skepticism, though. If you’re like me, you like having something proactive to counter someone’s distrust. Dr. Likins offered me several of his personal guide points that have led him to be rated in the top percentile of chiropractors in the nation.

“Confidence is important, but confidence without compassion is arrogance. If a client describes a horrible experience they had with another professional in your field, resist the urge to immediately begin telling them how wonderful you are—all of your awards and numbers and previous successes. Your fellow professional gave them a sales pitch as well. Acknowledge their negative experience and apologize for what they went through. They want to know you care more than they care about what you know.”

“Give them more than they are expecting. This is where a stereotype can be an asset. In a world of crazy chiropractors, I have a genuine opportunity to stand out. A skeptic who is proved incorrect through compassion, outstanding results, and first class service will become a larger referrer than a client who expected that service to begin with.”

“Never speak badly about other professionals (or anyone). If a client brings up a horrible competitor, resist the temptation to join in and share stories. Listen and empathize, then bring the conversation back to your client’s needs. These conversations waste valuable time and reduce you from a positive professional to a negative gossiper. No one refers to a negative gossiper, even if they initiate the conversation.”

The underlying premise is this: you can redefine your prospect’s perceptions of your industry by being the new, exemplary lens through which they view it. You accomplish this through superlative customer service, and you earn the opportunity to change their minds through superlative branding.

Lexus’ advertising looks higher end than Toyota’s, even though they represent almost identical vehicles. With their recognizable branding, Jiffy Lube earns more trust (and revenue) than the more-talented pole-barn mechanic in most communities. Grocery stores still sell far more name brand items than very-similar store-label products.

Why?

In our culture, perception trumps reality. So, as you build a full-service reality, spend equal attention to wrapping that in respect-earning branding.

Guard your logos and colors and fonts like your brand depends on them—because it does. Build templates for each size ad and direct mail type you use. You want them to be practical for the space but clearly connected to the other formats.

Hire a proven professional to design your advertising, so that your work has a consistent, corporate feel—regardless of media. Work with them to develop a range of flexibility within a standardized look.

Use larger images and less text, larger mailers to fewer people, more web content and less small-point type in your print media. Use small pieces/ads for your shotgun advertising and dominating impact for your targeted advertising.

Look at large national brands and their materials. The more your stuff looks like theirs, the less likely you will be categorized with unprofessional competitors. You don’t need Fortune 500 budgets to look corporate. You just need to fight for visual consistency and make sure your look matches your niche.

No matter the size of your company, you can meet and surpass expectations by looking at your company through the skeptic’s eyes. Show them service and attention they do not expect, and illustrate your advantage through intentional, professional branding.

Put these principles into practice, and you’ll need Dr. Likins’ final piece of advice for me: “Be the best at what you do, but don’t let it go to your head.”

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Click here for more of Dr. Likins’ insightful advice.

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