"People will do whatever they PERCEIVE to be in their best interest."
This adage holds true for whatever product we might be selling. Prospects can have strong opinions when it comes to advertising. Do our prospects perceive that nobody reads the newspaper anymore? Do they perceive that nobody listens to radio anymore, they only listen to satellite radio or podcasts? Do they perceive that everyone fast-forwards through the TV commercials or watches Netflix or Hulu?
These perceptions determine whether the prospect will be open to talking with us.
We all experience the same objections tailored to our media. But, I had an "aha" moment a few months ago. Ten or twenty years ago, when a new business opened, the first thing they thought of in regards to advertising was, "I have to place a newspaper ad." We radio people were never the first thing they thought of, TV maybe second or third. But today, what do you suppose is the first thing a retailer thinks of in regards to advertising? "I have to put this on Facebook." And, even this perception continues to evolve as new information surfaces about the use of Bots and click farms to falsify results in digital.
It all comes down to perception. Does our prospect perceive that Facebook is the best place to advertise? Does our prospect perceive that "no one reads the newspaper" "one one listens to radio," "everyone watches Netflix."?
Perceptions are constantly changing in today's digital world. Yet, studies show that "traditional" media still hold a valuable place in the advertising universe. We still educate consumers on what to buy, where to buy it and why they should want it. Radio, especially, serves as an "accelerator" to digital media.
We are dealing with the perceptions that shape the reality and decisions of our prospects and clients. We must understand these perceptions. We must understand the world of our clients. Today's marketing is a new world for them also.
The more we understand their world, the better equipped we are to create campaigns to meet their needs. We can become their guide in this complicated marketplace.
