So What?
How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience
By: Mark Magnacca
Published: June 2009
Format: Paperback, 147pp
ISBN-13: 9780137158263
ISBN: 0137158262
Publisher: FT Press
"The people you are trying to communicate with, sell to, or reach don't really care about you, or what you have to offer, until they know how what you have can benefit them", writes Founder and President of Insight Development Group, Inc. Mark Magnacca, in his practical step by step guide to understanding customers and enhancing sales So What?: How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience. The author demonstrates how simplifying your sales goals to engage the customer and take their needs and desires into account, will result in more sales and a happier life for everyone.
Mark Magnacca recognizes that many sales and marketing people spend their time and energy talking about themselves, their company, and the virtues of their products and services. The author points out that this approach may have worked in the past, but it's a recipe for failure when attempting to engage the modern customer. In a wired world where a competitor, with very similar products and services is only a single mouse click away, engaging customers is critical for achieving sales success. The modern customer, writes Mark Magnacca, cares about themselves. They will respond to traditional sales messages with a shrug and an eye roll, that indicates that their needs and desires are not being met by the sales representative. The book teaches the reader how to get past what the author calls the So What Matrix, really engage the customer.
Mark Magnacca (photo left) understands that many sales people are highly successful at problem solving, and helping customers to achieve their goals and happiness. At the same time, the author is careful to point out, that success can lead to complacency. An inability to adapt to changing economic times, and to learn new ideas and techniques can turn a top producing sales representative into a weak performer. Many times, sales reps will begin to think of themselves, or even about what they are about to say to a prospective customer. The moment that this mindset becomes part of the salesperson's thinking, the focus on the real needs of the customer is lost. At the same time, many business people stop sharing their message with the customer, and lose that crucial customer engagement. When the customer focus and conversation is lost, very often the market will disappear as well.
For me, the power of the book is how Mark Magnacca not only describes how to be a more engaging, and successful sales representative or marketer, but he also demonstrates why the activity is important. Many books will provide the step by step sales and marketing system, but they will often neglect telling the reader why that approach is necessary. On the other hand, some books will take a theoretical approach, but fail to provide the practical hands on techniques to put those ideas into action. Mark Magnacca offers the best of both worlds, with an explanation of why the activity is critical, and then shows how to apply the concept in the real world of sales. The emphasis on keeping the message simple, and focused on the customer rather than the sales rep, is repeated over and over throughout the book, but each time emphasizing a different aspect of the customer engagement.
I highly recommend the easy to read, yet powerful book So What?: How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience by Mark Magnacca, seeking to enhance and improve their sales and marketing communication. For anyone in sales and marketing, who is serious about listening to and engaging the customer, this book will provide the tools necessary for helping your customers to understand how your product or service will benefit them and improve their lives.
Read the clear and concise message of the must read book So What?: How to Communicate What Really Matters to Your Audience by Mark Magnacca, and truly make a connection with your customers. Learn why the customer doesn't care about you, and instead discover how to change your sales and marketing focus from yourself to the real needs of your customers. Your clientele will be happier, and you will be more success as well. No longer will your customers say "So What?" to your marketing message, and instead become happy and loyal buyers of your products and services.
