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Even at six years old, I learned that keeping my audience/customer's attention was difficult! No make that nearly impossible! Here's what happened.

I have 2 younger brothers who, bless their hearts, are curious. So it was easy back then to get them to come and sit on little crates on the front porch. They waited eagerly, facing the makeshift stage. The curtain (torn bed sheet) hid center stage from where I was trembling with excitement, ready to enchant my audience! My toddler sister didn't much care what was going on; she just wanted to be with us. So she sat too. They paid a penny each to watch the performance. And I ' well yes, I acted the lead role in a play of my own design. And I was brilliant!

Well, for the first minute or so' then the kids left, chattering among themselves, totally oblivious. They even grabbed the pennies back! And here I was in the middle of reciting an ode to the Birch, throwing in a jig step mimicking the wind blowing through the leaves. And a chorus of tweet, tweet, like the birds chirping on high! But no ' my customers never did stay to the end. Never!

Center Stage Is Not What It's All Cracked Up To Be!

So what did I do? Before I share how I finally kept the money and satisfied my audience/customer, I'd like you to consider these questions. In your own business, do your customers stay for the close? Does your audience anticipate a finale? Or do they get up and walk out? Maybe they don't even show up? Are they getting value? Are you losing the pennies or mega dollars?

I'm referring to the performance your web site or your sales letter does on your business behalf. How about your business card or brochure? Is it pulling in your customer? Is it closing them? Is it selling your product or service?

If you've ever wondered why your business marketing efforts aren't drawing the customers you'd hoped, then keep reading.

The truth is you poured your heart and soul into your marketing campaign. Your brochures, flyers and that expensive advertisement made sure your customer knew everything about your product and service. You repeated your mission statement 5 times! Their eyes glaze over and they nonchalantly shrug their shoulders!

What's more, when you deluge them with reams of information about you, you've made no impact! That's right, no impact! No value! The truth is people need to know what's in it for them. Is your brochure written with them in mind or you? Is your lead action for them or for yourself? And that's not all. How much emotion glimmers through?

A Standing Ovation Is A Gift From The Heart

Remember that performance you attended when you felt moved to give a standing ovation? What were you feeling? Remember how it came from your heart? It was based on not only how you felt about the performance, but what value you felt you received, wasn't it?

Keeping this in mind, are your audience/customers feeling good about your offer? They need to recognize that your information, product and advice as a solution to a problem they feel emotionally as well as rationally. That's right, we're talking about feelings!

Your marketing material probably has all the markings of a rational deliverance ' all kinds of profound and provocative principles and techniques as well as dimensions, weights and measures. What you may not realize is that the material they read and see about your business product or service has energy about it.

Let me explain. First, people don't like to be sold (they like to buy things, but they don't like to be sold). Second, people buy for emotional, not rational reasons ' so you have to appeal to your prospects' feelings and desires. However, they're not ready to applaud yet.

Not surprisingly, once they are sold, then people need to justify the irrational decisions with rational reasons. So at what point will they applaud your business, appeal to our product or service and become your loyal customer?

Are you running in circles here? Well let's clarify a few things.

If you're thinking to yourself right now, 'Hmmff. Well, I certainly can't understand how somebody can't see the 'logic' of just how valuable this product (or service) is to them'' you're missing the boat and not approaching this from the emotional context.

In fact, reread the above statement Hmmff. Notice the attitude? If yours is similar guess what you are infesting into your marketing material! Attitude. And your audience/customer senses it. They stay away!

People Want Very Badly To Feel Good!

One thing's for sure. People, clients, customers, want very badly to feel good about themselves and the way they conduct their decisions. Here's an example of how conduct follows emotion.

It was a windy, overcast, blustery Saturday morning when a group of us met for our annual golf tournament. Not everyone played well. In fact, not everyone played before. However, it's not golf that I want to share with you about looking foolish. I'm sure each of you has your own golf story. In fact, golf is probably the most obvious example of how people just don't like looking foolish ' and when they do ' they get very, very ' well, you've probably seen it! What I want to share is what happened after the game.

We finally ended the fiasco tournament, cold, grumpy, noses running, hands purple and numb with cold on a high note of relief. We got to go home! I was tired and still miserable when I decided I just had to stop into the grocery store first. What a dumb idea. Did I mention I was tired?

After purchasing 2 items, I was ready to head home. As I was turning right to exit the parking lot, I heard a foreboding scraping sound. I stopped, got out my vehicle and to my horror, I realized I cut too close to the cement pillar marking the corner of the lot. My running board was scraped, but not so bad. I got back into my vehicle and looked up into the rearview mirror. Standing there with grins on their faces were two total strangers watching me make a fool of myself. Yes, that's what I thought. They think I'm a fool!

So what I did next, I regret with all my heart.

I felt the blood rush up my neck and into my brain. Something clicked, I got angry and instead of backing up slowly to reduce any further damage, I stepped on the gas and went forward as hard as I could. I'll show them, my brain roared!

Stupid, stupid, stupid. In honor of preserving my foolishness, I busted the whole sideboard off my truck. And the damage cost over $3,000! What's more, when I finally stopped myself to survey the damage, I got out more heated than I ever experienced in my life and unconsciously locked the door ' automatically without the keys in my hand!

So there I was, locked out in the cold, stranded, truck damaged, and its motor running.

About 3 hours later, my husband showed up to rescue me.

Looking Foolish Is A Powerful Influence!

More people take less action because they are afraid it won't be right, they are going to look dumb, or they are going to screw it up. You've got to understand, your job is to acknowledge that reality of human nature and compensate around it. Reassure them, direct them. Touch them. Give them room to decide without their feeling foolish.

What does this mean for you? The bottom line about human nature is this: People will do more things not to participate and buy your product because they don't want to look foolish. They will work harder not to look foolish than they will work to gain an advantage. Accept it and factor into your strategies and your actions this reality.

Guarantee Your Customer Assurance With B/B/B

So here's how to guarantee you are building your customer's confidence in your business offering. Here's how to tap into guaranteeing their feelings are taken into consideration and they feel reassured they are making the right choice. Here's how to reduce their tendency for feeling foolish.

As you are planning your marketing materials, ask yourself these questions. 'If I were on the receiving end, why would I want this? Why would I want to take advantage? What's in it for me?'

Then as you are making a presentation or you're figuring out what your ad or brochure should be like, ask yourself this question. 'So what?' This allows you to clarify their desires and needs. It demonstrate to people that logic and emotion by acting (buying) is so much more preferable to them than inaction (not buying), from their benefit standpoint, not yours. A simple way to apply this is to use a Benefit/Benefit/Benefit formula (B/B/B) to ensure you capture the emotional triggers.

1. First state them a benefit of superiority over others, differentiating your product or service from all others. Let's use a dishwasher as an example. My first level benefit statement would be: Here at last is a silent dishwasher. Now ask, 'So what?'

2. Next, relate that benefit statement of superiority to the customer. The second level benefit statement would be: Kitchen noise and clatter are gone forever. Ask again, 'So what?'

3. Finally, tell your customer how this superiority brings an improvement to his/her life or business. The third level benefit is: For the first time, you can have a civilized kitchen conversation, or play quiet music ' and actually hear it.

See how that's done? This indeed is a mindset. It's all about your customers needs and desires. See your business as interacting and enhancing people and their lives. In fact, next time you're stuck in traffic' or waiting for your spouse to rescue you, create a Benefit/Benefit/Benefit description for your product or service. Then watch how your customer gives you the attention and business you deserve!

I almost forgot. So how did I get my siblings to stay throughout my performance?

I eventually shared the stage and promised each of them they too could perform solo. They saw a greater value in this arrangement than just watching me! In fact, they were willing to pay me to let them perform solo! I learned a valuable sales lesson ' my audience/customer truly wants to feel part of my business, not a commodity outside looking in. And as long as I was willing to be vulnerable, so were they. No one felt the more foolish ' just proud!