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Mind Capture

By Tony Rubleski
President & Author,
Mind Capture Group
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The following article is from chapter 11 in the newly released book, "Mind Capture: How to Awaken Your Entrepreneurial Genius in a Time of Great Economic Change." Copyright 2011 Lightning Strike Press

Mass advertising and messaging are losing both credibility and effectiveness for a variety of reasons which I described in chapter nine as persuasion nets shape our own BS Meter in relation to marketing messages. Here are six additional reasons it's of key importance to customize your communications to help you get Mind Capture with your marketing messages:

1. The ability to niche market messages is becoming much easier to pull off
2. The customer of today is becoming more and more resistant to mass messaging due to time shifting and new tools created specifically to filter out ads - think TIVO, podcasts, YouTube, etc.
3. People are burned out and even offended by marketers that are woefully still trying to cram a square message into a round hole
4. In the age of free content, information and a sea of competing choices, people's expectations and appetite for customized solutions are quickly becoming the norm
5. If you don't differentiate and add value - perceived or real - you risk losing profit margins and move into the realm of becoming a commodity in your marketplace
6. In a tightening economy, people are more price sensitive, pickier and often waiting longer to make decisions in the selection process

Marketing legend Dan Kennedy describes the marketing process with the following simple, yet brilliant statement: "Marketing is getting the right message to the right people via the right media and methods."

Let me narrow your search and share with you three of the 10 smart ways to customize and make your communications memorable. Top marketers use these techniques to build Mind Capture with people in an ever increasingly noisy and saturated media universe. Some you've heard me mention earlier in the book, while others are being presented for the first time.  They are based on my own 20+ years of studying and applying marketing and persuasion strategies in a wide range of industries with thousands of people.

Three powerful tips for customizing your message to capture others

1. Use custom mailings such as cards, articles or an unexpected gift or thank-you note. I love direct mail. While more and more companies are foolishly abandoning it for a variety of reasons which I will not waste space arguing here, all I can say is that many smart businesses and nonprofits use it with outstanding results. Take away all my marketing tools if you must, but leave me with a pen, card and a postage stamp and I can connect with almost anyone.
2. Employ humor and make people laugh. Business is far too stuffy and "corporate" these days. Always remember that real people, not focus groups or company yes men, are the folks you're trying to reach. An often overlooked way to capture people is to get them laughing. It's a positive emotion you should employ in your communications. I'm not going to tell you how and when to use it. You know your customers better than anyone else. Tune into them, do what's comfortable and get them laughing. Positive reaction, word-of-mouth and new sales are often the byproducts of this strategy.
3. Reveal something unique about yourself. As a professional speaker I have the honor to get in front of thousands of people each year. Without a doubt, what helps to build the bridge with my audiences is the use of stories from my own life. I reveal memorable moments that often center on my travels, pets and our three children. I enjoy telling the stories and the lessons learned. Based on comments we get from the audiences and meeting planners, they appreciate me sharing other shades of what makes me tick versus strictly business.

Here are a few ideas on areas of interest to get the ball rolling:

• Fun or memorable stories related to family, friends, and customers
• An award or accomplishment you or a key business associate have earned
• Your successes and failures and the lessons learned from each
• Hobbies or things you enjoy doing outside of work
• Causes you believe in and give time, energy or monetary resources to

Tony Rubleski is the president of Mind Capture Group based in Spring Lake. He recently released his third book in the bestselling series titled: Mind Capture: How to Awaken Your Entrepreneurial Genius in a Time of Great Economic Change. For details on the new book visit www.MindCaptureBook.com. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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