The Secret to Selling Your Brand With One Sentence

You believe in the importance of your vision, but how do you get others to stop and listen to you? There will be many instances when you don’t have a lot of time to grab someone’s attention, be it a potential investor or a licensee. That’s why you need to be able to summarize the benefit of your business idea in a single, powerful sentence -- a sentence that is so direct and compelling, it stops whoever reads or hears it dead in their tracks. A good one-line benefit statement should make someone think: "I want to know more about that."
I’ve learned that if I craft just the right sentence, it’s all I need to get people to listen to my pitch, open my emails and answer my calls. I still remember the day the iPod launched and Steve Jobs called it “a thousand songs in your pocket.” Wow. That's captivating. He didn’t have to explain any further. We wanted it already! 
People don’t care about how something works.They want to know what it’s going to do for them.
Newspapers, tabloids, and these days, Twitter have been making use of the headline for years. How often do you find yourself on a webpage you never intended to visit, all because a headline was so tempting, you had to click on it? That should give you an idea of what I’m talking about. Creating excellent one-line benefit statements isn’t an easy skill, but it’s an important one, because it can be used to explain your idea in so many different kinds of situations in an attractive, successful way.
Sometimes, you only get one chance to make an impression. Cut through the clutter to make it count! Here three ways to create an awesome one-line benefit statement:
1. Make it emotional.
Why should people care about what you have to say? Grab them with something they can relate to. Benefits sell ideas, not facts. What is your idea going to do for the consumer or the world? Don’t be afraid to use emotion. People are motivated by their emotions more often than they are motivated by reason. Emotion also evokes visual imagery -- if people can begin to see your idea, that’s a good thing. Some emotional words include: "free", "incredible" and "unbelievable."
2. Keep it short.
Like -- really short. I’m talking no more than 10 to 12 words, ideally less. Remember, you don’t have much time. If your statement is too long, people may move on before they’ve even finished reading or hearing it. Don’t be intimidated by using fewer words. This is a really good exercise in general. Too often, I ask an inventor or entrepreneur to tell me about his or her idea and I’m overwhelmed with a five-minute speech. "What is he talking about again?" I find myself thinking. I’m not even sure. Brevity forces clarity.
3. Use numbers.
Numbers convey specificity. Look around you. Headlines with numbers dominate our world. One has only to look at Buzzfeed to understand the power of numbers.
Here are some examples of one-line benefit statements my students and I have used with great success in the past:

• “The most versatile organization system available.”
• “The store all, carry all, go anywhere elevated pet feeder.”
• “This label will increase space on your packaging by 75 percent.”

Try out potential statements on everyone you know. Which one has the greatest impact? Ask for feedback. Then, start using this line all over the place. When someone asks: “So what is it you’re working on again?” you will have a great answer!

5 Ways to Keep Customers Knocking on Your Door For More

How does one go from investment banking to starting a wildly successful online jewelry store? Just ask Amy Jain and Daniella Yacobovsky, founders of BaubleBar, who did just that. After meeting nine years ago in a banking class at Harvard Business School, they ditched the prospect of becoming financial analysts to open BaubleBar.

The two were shoe shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue together when they realized they never shopped for jewelry because they could never find jewelry they liked that was reasonably priced. They decided to take it upon themselves to fix this problem.

1. Get personal, even -- no, especially -- online. 
Interacting with your customers or clients on a personal level is very important if you want to build loyalty. BaubleBar takes a great online experience one step further by offering their customers in-person services. Though we live in a digital society, there is no better way to build loyalty than face-to-face interaction. This will make your customers feel special.

At BaubleBar, SWAT (Service With Accessorizing Talent) Stylists help customers pick out pieces that are right for them. Whether, you are looking for a piece to match a certain outfit, be worn on a special occasion or just can’t decide between two necklaces, someone at BaubleBar can help you.

2. Make your customer experience consistent throughout your brand.
Cohesion is a necessary component to creating a company that people fall in love with. BaubleBar has a major challenge because it is hard to translate an online store into a brick-and-mortar shopping experience.

Opening a physical store when you have an online presence will only be successful if you duplicate the look, feel and mood of the virtual counterpart. Your customers already know what to expect, so don’t change it up too much. Jain and Yacobovsky have done this through their first brick-and-mortar location, The Bar, in New York City. Regardless of how they decide to expand, they know everything has to have the BaubleBar signature touch.

3. Partner with influential people who have their own following. 
It doesn’t take an MBA from Harvard to understand why it's important to involve bloggers and style influencers with large followings. To do this, BaubleBar started the Guest Bartender series. Each month they introduce a new style personality who curates a special collection based on their personal aesthetic.

The personalities that BaubleBar teams up with have loyal followers of their own who trust their opinions. By giving customers a new collection each month, the brand gives them something new and exciting to look out for.

4. Reward your best customers.
Ultimately, as an entrepreneur, if you say customer service is your number one priority, you have to put your money where your mouth is and do something generous for your customers. Jain and Yacobovsky have done just that with their customer loyalty program, The Vault, which allows customers to earn points when shopping or inviting friends to join. 

5. Build customers into your branding. 
BaubleBar posts pictures of their fans wearing their jewelry on the homepage of the website. Actively encourage your customers to participate in your brand, then showcase their participation. This gets people talking and helps build a community.

Every aspect of BaubleBar’s branding is well thought out. The result is a business changing the way consumers shop for jewelry. When you are thinking about your overall brand, you should never be scared to go down new avenues. Just make sure they are consistent with what you have already created

10 Commandments of Retail Sales

Retailers could be in for a hard time this holiday season. According to Morgan Stanley, the American consumer is showing signs of being spent out and fatigued with uncertainty.

Regardless of the holiday season predictions, retailers must be on top of their game. They are all experiencing intense competition for the consumer, shrinking margins and a shopping season that's five days shorter. Consumers will not tolerate sloppy sales approaches and a poor experience. If retailers want to be effective this holiday season, they must vow to serve the customer with these 10 retail commandments.

1. Thou shalt not believe anyone is “just looking." 

A customer can “just look” on their tablets, smartphones and home computer. Disregard this idea that any buyer is just looking and respond with: “90 percent of the people that come here start off by having a look. Why did you come today?" Show them specials, updates and other inventory choices that may not appear on your website.

2. Thou shalt never ignore the customer. 

They come to buy. Don't make them hunt for a sales associate. It is better to pester a customer with offers of help than it is to ignore. Seems pretty basic, but how many times have you seen sales associates congregating at a register or zoned-out folding a pile of shirts?

3. Thou shalt aggressively sell. In highly competitive times, set higher sales targets.

 Selling beyond ordinary expected levels requires a commitment to aggressively selling to every customer and making the most of every opportunity. Begin with a team meeting that sets targets and objectives. Then provide the tools to accomplish them.

4. Thou shalt never let the customer wait. 

When customers wait they become agitated, restless and uncertain. No customer should have to wait for anything. If your payment system is not efficient, you put the entire sale at risk. Make sure you sales process is fast, friendly and easy to move through. Waiting for an open cash register should be a thing of the past with card readers and swipers.

5. Thou shalt treat every buyer like they came to spend money.

 Don't qualify the customer's ability to make a purchase. Treat anyone who enters your store as if they have money to spend regardless of what they say or how they act.

6. Thou shalt greet every customer at the front door.

 I once went to a major retailer and it took over 17 minutes before being acknowledged. Appoint a greeter who makes the customers feel welcomed and directs them to the department they need. "Thanks for coming. What can I help you with or what department can I direct you to?"

7. Management shall engage with every customer.

 One way to increase both the customer experience and customer loyalty is to make sure management engages with every customer. This separates your business from the competition and increases value to the customer.

8. Thou shalt provide the best solution, not just the lowest price.

 People buy things to solve problems. Salespeople must ask the right questions, listen to the customer and know available inventory to provide the best solution. "Why did you come here today?" or "What are you looking for here that you didn't find online?” should be asked of every customer.

9. Thou shalt attempt a second sale. Every product purchase creates an opportunity for another product sale. 

Wait until the first product is all but rung up and offer other products that would best support the first purchase. “We have great gloves to match that coat. Let me show you.” People are open to buying more to justify their first purchase. Product saturation not only increases profits, it ensures customer loyalty.

10. Thou shalt help customers extend beyond their budget. 

Never believe a customer when they say they can't afford something. They can and will buy beyond their budget and do so everyday. Almost every household in America including the government extends beyond their budget. Acknowledge the idea of a restricted budget and keep showing them your products, services and solutions that are more valuable than the budget that is restricting them.

Great retailers must look for ways to go above and beyond for customers and provide an exceptional customer experience leading to loyalty and referrals. Your people should treat every customer like a millionaire who is ready and able to buy today. Retailers who do this will see how easily they win over cynical customers and turn them into loyal, frequent shoppers.