Tuning In To WIIFM

Tuning In To WIIFM

We often talk about “everybody’s favorite radio station” — WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) but what does it really mean? Does it mean we think no one cares about anyone else in this life? Not quite.

In the business context it means looking at all of your communication and ensuring that the messaging is clear for the intended audience. So much of the marketing material and information distributed today is about the distributing firm — our products, our services, what we do well, etc. The receiving party sometimes has a hard time understanding “what does this mean to me?”

If I receive information and can’t readily understand how to put it in a context that matters to me I am very likely to just mentally discard the information. We know from adult learning principles that adults need to process new information in a manner that makes sense to them — it’s why working with new information or new learning in an interactive manner works so well. If I can’t immediately understand the benefits to me, I won’t dig deeper into the issues and information.

Companies spend a lot of money on marketing materials and new ways to get in front of their clients and customers. Making sure that the message is delivered in a way that matters to the audience is a necessary step in getting a payoff from those marketing dollars.

Each communication that goes out from your firm should be viewed with an eye on “So what?” Why does it matter to the receiver? If an objective outsider can’t answer that question readily, take another view at the materials and re-write with an emphasis on the audience. Think about: “What problem does this solve for someone”? “Why/How would someone use this for an end benefit?” “What is the ultimate benefit of using/buying this product/service?”

There are many companies with products and services seemingly in search of a problem to solve. These companies believe they have something important to sell but can’t really articulate the problem in the first place. Be sure as you engage in sales and marketing activities you are clear on the reason for your product or service’s existence. And, even more importantly, be sure the audience you want to reach is clear about it too.