Hi [fname],

I did something this summer that I’ve never done before — for the first time in 24 years of owning my business, I’m taking a sabbatical of sorts: the entire month of August I’m at our cottage on Pelee Island in the middle of Lake Erie.

I’m working (and if you really know me, you’ll know this to be true) but just knowing that I can go out and twinkle my toes in the surf is an amazing feeling. Being out here and moving with the pace of nature has put me in a different frame of mind, a different vibration, a sensation of going with the flow. It fits in perfectly with Part 2 of my article on elevator speeches ­— conversational marketing is so much more in tune with going with the flow, so much more natural, so much more me.

With best wishes of success and going with the flow for you,

Marcia E. Hoeck, President, Hoeck Associates, Inc.

See Part 1 of this series in last issue’s Marketing Tips. For more on this subject, see “How to get prospects to say, ‘That’s interesting, tell me more,’ ” from the Marketing Tips archive.

Last issue we talked about how Lois Kelly’s book, Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word of Mouth Marketing, describes how traditional marketing and communications don’t really help people talk. According to Kelly, the goal with conversational marketing is to get people to say:

“Gee, that’s interesting, tell me more.” A great way to do this is by having a point of view.

Have a point of view
A point of view is your perspective about something that evokes conversation, according to the author. It begins with statements like, “The way I see it . . .” or “From my perspective . . .” or “The thing I’ve learned about . . .” followed by a belief. Even if people disagree, they’ll begin to see things from your point of view and get engaged in a conversation. This conversation will help you learn more about your customers, and help your customers learn more about you and what the company is all about in a way that helps form bonds and foster involvement. You’re talking, not just stating — see the difference?

Your point of view should be easy to understand and remember, and easy to talk about in your own words, so it doesn’t have to be memorized like an elevator speech. With a company point of view, everyone in the organization can have interesting things to talk about with various audiences, including customers, the media, and employees. It can help people understand what the organization is actually all about, shape their feelings about it, and provoke thinking.

The following are Lois Kelly’s “musts” for a point of view.

THE 10 CHARACTERISTICS OF A POINT OF VIEW
1. A point of view must be engaging
It must evoke a response and start conversations rather than just informing. The best response to a point of view is to have someone say, “That’s interesting. Tell me more.”

2. A point of view must be true
The more evidence to support your point of view, the greater your credibility.

3. A point of view must be relevant
The more relevant to the audience, the more interested people will be.

4. A point of view must be genuine
You and your organization must truly believe in the idea — there’s no faking it.

5. A point of view must be fresh
No one wants to hear old ideas, but sometimes a non-original point of view can be framed and expressed in a new way to discover new insights.

6. A point of view must connect the dots
Your point of view should connect somehow to your business vision or strategy — otherwise, it’s just talk.

7. A point of view must be memorable
You’ll want your point of view to be easy to remember and stick in a person’s head.

8. A point of view must be “talk-able”
You’ll want your point of view to be easy for people to talk about in their own words, and tell stories around. It should jump start two-way conversations.

9. A point of view must be “leggy”
Your point of view should resonate with multiple audiences, and be able to be communicated through multiple communication channels. You’ll be using it to build marketing and sales programs around, so it has to be flexible and have “legs.”

10. A point of view must be likeable
People have to like talking about your point of view, or they won’t.

Your point of view is in addition to, not in place of, your organization’s vision, mission, values, positioning, value proposition, and other marketing elements you may use. It’s another tool in your marketing toolbox, and one that you can pull out in place of your elevator speech.

Not very many organizations use this approach, at least not consciously and consistently. If you do it, you’ll stand out. People will say, “That’s interesting. Tell me more.”

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