Photo by Zalfa Imani
The third ingredient to delivering a remarkable impression might seem like a no-brainer, but it's trickier than you think.
When you want to connect with your perfect B2B prospects, you need to provide value right off the bat. But here's where the magic starts...
"Perceived value" doesn't always translate to the dollar amount. You can give your clients the fanciest water bottle on the market, with your logo emblazoned on it, and they'll probably toss it in the trash or give it away.
There's no "perceived value" to something like that because so many other companies give away the same thing.
Last week, we talked about how people will only give you their precious time in our information-inundated world if you are genuinely relevant to their needs. Now, let's talk about how you can up the perceived value of your message to make a truly remarkable impression.
When seeking to add value to your outbound marketing efforts or gifting outreach, you need first to consider your intended audience and the desired ask. Are you trying to get them to schedule a lunch or demo meeting? It's likely easier with a middle manager vs. a senior one. What's the value of the eventual ask? If you're dealing with a B2B audience, it's likely in the 10's to 100's of thousands. Is your effort commensurate with the ask?
Consider who your target prospect is and what they consider most important. Then, think what you're asking from them, and make sure your gift or offer is equal in perceived value.
This isn't a "quid pro quo" kind of thing. You're not buying them off. You're giving them something valuable, to show you value their time and investment in you.
How do you show your audience that you genuinely value them? By taking the time to dig in and demonstrate some heart. For Boston University, they discovered the answer in an unlikely place…underneath the institution's very foundation.
Boston University was founded in 1839. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of money to keep a place moving that long, but it means they also have incredible alumni and storied history.
In 2012, they kicked off their first ever major fundraising effort, the "Campaign for Boston University," to raise 1 billion dollars for the school. Sound ambitious?
When the campaign closed in 2019, they had raised $1.85 billion.
Obviously, their donors were motivated by school spirit and respect for the history of their alma mater, but Boston University wanted to demonstrate thanks in a truly remarkable way. So, they turned to us with the challenge. What do you do for the most generous donors? These are folks who can have anything and pledged hundreds of thousands to even millions of dollars.
Our team at UviaUs collaborated with Boston University to determine what would be most valuable to this audience of mega-donors: having a piece of school history.
During the renovations of one of the oldest buildings on campus, where former presidents had resided, laid granite some of the founding support pillars. We took a section of one of these pillars and had them hewn into custom chilling stones only for this select audience. In addition to providing certification of authenticity, we had them presented in a custom engraved keepsake box with glasses, and a personalized thank you video.
At UviaUs, we have a track record of creating personal, relevant, and valuable experiences that help move some of the hardest-to-reach audiences.
If you're ready to give your audience the value they desire, let's chat.
