It’s been over forty years since I left my home town West, TX. I visit frequently because my family still lives there. My parents are gone but they spent over fifty-four years in their one and only home in West. My sister and her husband remain, along with many, many cousins and aunts and uncles. My friends laugh out loud when I tell them I have 112 first cousins.. no, that’s not a typo. Yes, my family is Catholic and Czech. My Mom had 13 siblings and Dad – 15 siblings. There’s a perfectly good reason for having all those mouths to feed… they are farmers and they need field hands.

Most of you know the recent tragedy in West, TX. I visited the town the other day (April 23, 2013) – very sad day. My sister and I walked streets that looked like a war zone. Police officers patrolling everywhere… for safe keeping. It’s a good thing because what makes West so special are the people, traditions, ethics, and down to earth principles. And it would be a real shame if anything ever happened to that!

West is a small town like no other and that’s why it receives volumes of visitors every day. It’s not a beautiful town but it holds special treasures for many. And the town has found it’s sweet spot that visitors flock to so often.

When thinking of my home town, I am reminded how “being different” is their trademark (and the people there enjoy flaunting those differences) – that’s why out-of-towners love it so much. The people from West are not haughty or proud – instead, they hold strong to who they are – humble and earthy – with big hearts. People who’d give you the shirt off their back. As a matter of fact, I experienced it the other day – several people stopped (while walking the devastated streets) and asked if there was anything I needed?

Embrace tradition (who you are) – no one not even the explosion will demolish the strong traditions of West. They are Czech and they are simple people and  proud of it too. No one is a stranger to them. Seriously, it’s been part of my life for many years. My family embraces everyone. They welcome you into their homes – dinner table – to a beer – you name it – they share. Family is top priority in their book. It used to drive me crazy because when growing up my mom and dad did not have friends.. they had family. They care for one another deeply.

Why visitors love West, Texas (How West is different than most towns):

1. It’s hard to be duplicated – West is very unique. The majority of the population is Czech and German. So, you know what that means…. beer (everywhere) and frequently offered – one matter what time of day (well not before noon usually – well, usually), kolaches (don’t know what those are click here), Czech and German spoken – more English these days, Polkas and waltzes are played at community functions, predominant dance in West is the polka, and the warmest, friendliest people in Texas.

2. You’re accepted just the way you are – amplifies the trust factor.

3. People get exactly what they expect when visiting West (great times, spirited music and of course good sausage, kolaches and beer – gives accurate results.

4. West makes the ordinary extraordinary – the above  factors puts it above most small towns (all the fun things listed) – which encompass  the things visitors care about, cherish, and want when visiting a small town.

5. Visitors come to West to get out of the big city or boring small towns – West meets the needs of those yearning to connect with the simple life and a lost sense of community.

6. West gets publicity – mostly WOM (word of mouth) – people all over Texas KNOW and talk about West.

7. West NEVER loses focus. They know who they are and what they do best.

My home town. Many blessings to those who make West what it is today!

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There’s a new senior home care service (or adult living community) in town.

And that’s bad news… more options for your clients to choose!

It’s bad news because thanks to the other four home care agencies (or adult living communities), adults and family caregivers now have five care agencies to choose.

The problem is that each senior home care agency, relative to the other four, offers its own unique combination of personal care, meal preparation, homemaker, companion care, transportation, and potentially RN services for varying hourly contracts, price, comfort, knowledge and training, experienced caregivers, to name just a few of the most salient variables.

As a result, different people possess wildly distinct views on which senior home care agency is “the best.”

The people who hire you would prefer that you were as easy to choose a TV cable company. Why? Because it’s easier to make a buying decision when all the choices are similar or the same. Most seniors and family caregivers want to line you up, side by side with the other senior services and pick the cheapest one.

And why shouldn’t they? All buyers no matter what the product or service is – prefer to make a simple decision based on price. It makes our life easier.

You, however, want to be a senior home care agency. You don’t want the comparison to be simple and you definitely don’t want the decision to be based on price.

Rather, you want prospective home care customers to see you as the one and only viable option for their unique bundle of needs and preferences. Either they hire you, or they don’t get anything – no one agency fits their needs.

Solution: Don’t put yourself in a side by side comparisons – they are meaningless. And know that these types of decisions based on price are impossible.

1. Don’t be standard. If you describe yourself as simply “a senior home care agency” you open the door for your potential clients to use price as the differentiator.

If, on the other hand, you are a “chef who specializes in plant based diet cooking foods that lower cholesterol” you cloudy the decision filtering, making side by side comparison difficult.

2. Don’t sell time. Charging by the hour is the equivalent of pricing by the number of TV channels. It evokes standardization – puts you in a box for prospects to stack and sort.

Why not then package your senior care services – for a flat fee – using a unique name and with lots of elements mixed together? This will eliminate putting you in a box.

3. Be authentic. Don’t look and act the same as your competitors. If you do, then your clients will ask what your hourly rate is.

4. Step outside the box by drawing attention to your real differences. (Don’t tell prospective clients that your home care agency hires only  “experienced, trustworthy professionals”  – that’s not a differenciator – your competitors all do!

5. Consider a unique pricing scheme – all you can use home care services. Think of a compelling back story – “The owner’s mom and dad lives with them and pitches in to care for his children”.

In other words…. DIFFERENTIATE! Read “Differentiating Your Home Care and Adult Living Community”.

Remember: Consumers – are eager to pay the least amount of money for a given result.

SO… make your “given result” as unlike that of your competitors as possible.

You think that’s too much work? Hire a professional copy writer.

Get a Free Consultation and we can discuss other ways to connect, engage, and get results using powerful and targeted content!

Be Real – Show Who You Are

As with any good relationship, communication is important. The opportunity for ongoing engagement with a prospect begins when they first visit your site, find you online, or make a call to your office. Just today I found a website for copywriters, a business selling copy and editing services. My first impression was well, not impressed at all. It’s funny when you write about a topic so much that it sticks to the forefront of your thinking. The sight had great content about how professional their writers are – they were Ivy League students; Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke; the kind of students getting the education that most of us can only dream about. The truth is, I did not connect with it. It felt cold to me. I clicked on Services Offered, then About Us, and then on Portfolio. There was not one photo of a real person anywhere! It surprised me.

With any good marketing effort, we need to maximize the contact that is made with a prospective customer by inviting them to connect immediately. When perusing the site, never once did I feel a want to connect. It felt impersonal.

A couple of ways (I believe) they could improve the site to increase connection and communication:

Engage your audience – Tell your story. Tell us why your in the business you’ve chosen. I want to read about you. It would be nice to see a photo of you too.

Share stories on how you helped people like us looking for services you offer – Publish reviews on your site. We want to know why someone chose to do business with you. Keep it real; it doesn’t all have to be positive. Any interaction you have with people, trips you take, clients who have benefited from your product or service, any learning experience you want to share that makes you look like a real human being and that others can relate to.

Create a blog – I will look at websites to locate “where” the blog is. I can quickly learn about your offerings by reading through articles published there. It’s the ultimate engagement tool.

Create meaningful content – The content you create should not be just about your company. While there is a place for that on your site, the majority of the content you create should be about them. Remember the WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME strategy?

Include a comment section on the blog or site to gain what’s on our mind. We are often willing to share opinions, if given the opportunity. What better way to find out more about our issues and what keeps us up at night?

Let your client know you personally – Consumers desperately seek personal relationships with those they choose to do business with. They will do business with you and refer you to someone else, if they feel that they genuinely know you. Give them more of what they want – a real person to do business with.

In print communications - incorporate this information. In brochures, newsletters, handouts, etc. Find a way to weave in a personal story along side your company’s offering. The more real you are with your audience, the more drawn to you they will be. Make it easy for consumers to get to know you and interact with you and your company through a consistent communication strategy. Figure out how your company can present helpful information to clients that is meaningful to them on a regular basis.

You think that’s too much work? Hire a professional copy writer.

Get a Free Consultation and we can discuss other ways to connect, engage, and get results using powerful and targeted content!