Observe
Listen
Define
Attention
Interest
Desire
Action
Most of us are lucky to have had OLD auntie AIDA in our lives. She’s always there in our hearts and minds; the vivacious aunt you can never forget. She always got our attention and could make anything sound interesting. As children we looked forward to her visits and treats. As teenagers we outgrew her and thought we knew better, even though she gave great advice that spurred us into action when things got tough. She knew what to say, how to say it and what would get us moving again. As adults we respected her, but she could still pack a punch when we needed comfort from her spirited approach to life. Even in death she left us with great memories and we refer to her wisdom in challenging times.
So, what would OLD auntie AIDA do right now?
Here’s our take on what OLD auntie AIDA would do.
She would:
- Look around and observe what’s going on. She would be listening to what’s taking up our attention and affecting us. Not just what we say, but our feelings, our behaviours and attitudes. She would then define the situation.
- Next would come that Mary Poppins moment. The one where she parachutes into your life with some penetrating comments that grab your attention. It’s like she’s reading your mind on the one hand, or she jolts you out of your complacency with some seemingly outlandish facts that stir up your imagination and that sense of urgency you never knew you had.
- She’d get your interest in what she’s going to say or do next. Something so powerful, the noise around you would inevitably fall away as you listened attentively to what she’ had to say. She would channel your desire for a result – she’d get you stimulated into action.
Right now we are in uncharted territory. More than ever, we must be able to read the signs and listen to our community. Not just what they’re saying, but how they’re feeling and how they view their world. It always has been about them, OLD auntie AIDA knew that. She used this to define the situation and for us, this means looking at new ways to keep people engaged and moving forward. How can we adapt our products and services to meet these new aspirations?
The proven successful ways of doing things might not work as well now, so how do we get people’s attention? It’s still about motivation. What motivates people to change? Focusing on their pain point is perhaps not the right approach. To get their attention it is just as important to focus on motivators such as love, gain, pride and self-indulgence. Be clear about what motivates your customers and use this in the language of your promotion to get their attention. It’s powerful.
Think about OLD auntie AIDA. What would she do in your situation?
Here is a simple self-assessment tool to help you review your situation and discover new ways to present your product or service and get your message across. (download)
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