F.O.M.O. is an acronym for Fear Of Missing Out.
This term, popular amongst college students, applies to adults too. It is the feeling that even though the calendar is full of important events and responsibilities, there’s something else more enticing, more urgent, that must be considered. F.O.M.O. can cause someone with a completely full calendar to rethink the importance of committed events, cancel ones which are marginally important and add something else instead.
My calendar is full. I can say with complete honesty that I’m busy. However, if someone says something incredibly important to me, something I need to know about right now, I will knock 3 people off my calendar and make time. That’s what I mean by sales messages that cause prospect F.O.M.O.
Most businesses spend time and money perfecting their marketing messages. Marketing messages are those used in websites and advertising campaigns. They’re meant to be general to appeal to broad audiences. Sales messages, on the other hand, are the words and phrases spoken on the phone or at a networking event and the written words in emails or letters, which are purposefully and deliberately chosen to move one person in his/her thinking from one place to the next.
How effective are your sales messages in moving your prospects forward in their thinking? Is your sales message so strong that prospects make room for you on their calendars despite having no time? Here are 3 questions to help you put a little F.O.M.O. in your sales messages.
- What do your prospects need to know that they don’t know that will make their lives better? Sales is not always about pain. Sometimes it’s about what could be versus what is for your prospects. Find the meaningful gap and articulate it. For example, is there something your prospects should know before their bosses do?
- Why do your prospects need to know right now and not wait until next month or next year? There is a timing element when it comes to sales. However, be careful not to confuse prospects that are truly not ready to move forward with prospects that feel no urgency because your sales message didn’t create urgency. Without sufficient sales message urgency, prospects will likely never be ready, not 3 months from now and not next year.
- Why are you the best (or only) person to deliver this information? Your prospects likely know people who do what you do. Some may even be existing vendors, friends or relatives. If your prospects already have people in their inner circles who can bring them this information, WHY WHY WHY, should they meet with you?