2 critical questions your mediation marketing must answer

Before any client hires you, they’re asking themselves two critical questions:

Is mediation (substitute other conflict resolution services you offer if needed) relevant to my problem?

Why should I hire this mediator instead of someone else?

Can you answer those two questions right now, clearly and concisely, and without mediator jargon? Your answers need to be at the foundation of your marketing efforts and without superb answers, your marketing will be weak.

Is mediation relevant?

It’s so easy to say yes to this when you sit in the mediator’s chair. But the public doesn’t have the clarity you have about mediation and a mediator’s impartiality.

This one takes work – elbow grease by every single mediator who wants to thrive in business and do good in the world. And to start blogging, or podcasting, or Twittering without knowing the answer is one of the reasons so many social media marketing forays go nowhere. An ad exec interviewed a couple of weeks ago for the New York Times article Multiscreen Mad Men put it this way:

“…we do have a ton of different new media and new ways to use them. But before we get there, I would suggest that first, you take a step backward and ask yourself, How do I make my brand relevant? Overalls are a staple of Americana, a cultural icon. The question is, How can you make overalls relevant to people today, and how can you use these different media channels to accomplish that?”

Why should I hire you?

Again, an easy answer from the mediator’s perspective and a whole lot less clear from the other side of the table. In fact, you may take this so for granted that you’re not spelling it out clearly enough for your prospective clients. They need it spelled out because they don’t have the experience, knowledge and understanding of mediation’s power that you do.

The Marketing Experiments Blog explains why things like taglines and brand statements often miss the mark:

“The statement ‘My Life Is Beautiful’ makes a catchy tagline, but it’s not what we consider a true value proposition. Why not? Because it doesn’t answer this question: ‘If I’m your ideal prospect, why should I buy from you instead of anyone else?’ Answer that with ‘My life is beautiful’ and you’ll clearly see the disconnect.”

Answering questions like the two above is the foundation of everything you do in your marketing. Sounds like a perfect time for a ramp-up and renewal retreat!