Make Yourself Memorable
 By Patrick L. Wynne

There are truisms in business we ignore at our peril.

First, people do business with people they know. Second, people do business with people they like. Third, it doesn’t matter if they know you or like you if they can’t remember you.

The moral: Make yourself memorable. Here are a few tips.

Use Snappy Patter
Develop what sales folks call, “the elevator speech.” Boil down the essence of how you benefit customers into a concise, persuasive, 10-second introduction.

The elevator speech gets its name because it’s a perfect fit should you find yourself between floors with a prospect, limited by the time it takes to arrive at the next exit. It’s difficult for people to recall a lengthy brochure or a full page ad. But the snappy patter of an effectively crafted elevator speech can be memorable indeed.

Look Sharp
In an ever more visually oriented world, good-looking logos can be effective.

When you think CBS, you probably bring to mind the famous CBS eye logo. The same with Nike’s swoosh or Chevrolet’s chevron or Shell Motor Company’s shell.

Associate yourself with such an icon. Make it interchangeable with your company’s identity. When conferring with a graphic designer, remember the simpler, the better. Each of those readily recognized logos mentioned above is utterly minimalist. Don’t be fancy. Be memorable.

Be A Character
This is an option not open to everyone. But if you have a personality that people like, if you’re funny, charming, particularly bright, know a lot of stuff or otherwise somehow are set apart from the crowd, capitalize on this character trait.

Be careful because there’s a tendency to overdo this. You don’t want to become a caricature (or maybe you do if you sell used cars). But you do want to stress your likable and therefore memorable personal trait. Happy Jack’s Pancake House screams for an entrepreneur who is memorably happy.

Be Unique
This is a close cousin to being a character. Unhappy Jack’s Pancake House would make the point, though you no doubt can come up with a better way to distinguish yourself. The point is to create the impression of being without match, unequaled, without an equivalent. That is the way to carve out your market niche. It effectively removes competition because by definition there is no one like you.

Think AIDA
This basic marketing principle ensures you will be remembered.

The acronym AIDA stands for first, getting prospects’ (A)ttention. If they don’t notice you, your quest ends there. Next create an (I)nterest in what you have. This can be done by raising questions that demand to be answered or pointing out truths that elicit “Aha!” responses. Then create (D)esire in your target. This requires effectively communicating your product or service’s benefits for the buyer. It may solve a problem, meet a need, accomplish a goal. But whatever it promises, it must coincide with prospects’ craving. Finally, prompt (A)ction. That’s shorthand for spurring prospects to actually buy.

If you conform your marketing to the time-tested AIDA principle, you’ll be remembered. For sure.

Show You Care
Virtually without exception, people remember those who obviously care about them, probably because so few people seem to.

Two ways to show you care are to listen and to ask.

Be attentive when talking with prospects and customers. Don’t interrupt. Repeat back to them what they tell you. Explain that you want to make sure you heard it right. Then rephrase and repeat back to them what they’ve told you to ensure you understood what they meant.

Ask germane questions to fill in the gaps. Maintain eye contact if you’re in person. Maintain etiquette even if it’s merely e-mail contact. Forget about telling them, “You’re important to us…” That sounds too much like the disingenuous on-hold telephone messages no one believes.

Show them you care, don’t try to tell them you care. Ironically, by listening and showing genuine interest, you’ll be remembered for the great conversation you provided.

Send Reminders
Stay in prospects’ and customers’ memory by periodically reminding them that you exist and are here to benefit them.

One reminder is to mail out copies of news coverage you may have garnered in the popular or trade press. A simple photocopy of the article with a Post-It note attached saying, “I thought you might be interested…” does the trick.

(Posted February 2006)

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