How to Write Marketing Materials that Magnetize Your Clients with Tried & True 3-Filters Technology™

Written by Mike Hamers, Lightspeed and Larry Nelson, w3w3 Media Network
  Edited by Kate Hamers, Lightspeed and Kris Green, Turn Words 2 Money
                       
Using the 3-Filters Technology™ increases website effectiveness, gets more responses to your call-to-action, results in more customers, and increases your customer retention.

So why do humans take the actions they take? For developer, Larry L. Nelson, answering this question began with reading Abraham Maslow's “A Theory of Human Motivation.” In this classic work, Maslow delineates the five levels of human needs and defines the fundamental responses as to why human beings take the actions they do, or don’t, in their lives.

Larry Nelson, author of the book Mastering Change in the Midst of Chaos™ and creator of the 3-Filters Technology™, developed a model of needs-based behavior that applies directly to marketing. Nelson identified three major categories he calls “Filters.” Basically, people are specifically influenced by which filter they see their world through.   These filters are:   Future, People, Security

All three Filters are continuously at work in every person every day, but to differing degrees. Like the RGB light sources combining to create a full-spectrum picture on your TV monitor, the three Filters of Future, People, Security combine to paint a rich and complex picture of needs and behavior active in everyone. 

Nelson states that needs drive our actions, but needs are not the sole source of action. For example, we need to eat, but we want a certain type of food.  Actions are the result of complex interaction between our personal needs, values, talents, skills and experiences. No two humans are alike so it is useless to get too structured in a model of predictive behavior. Of more value is a broad understanding of general principals applicable to specific situations. For example:

• Marketing content – Understanding the Future, People, and Security filters affects how you present primary concerns around money and making purchases in your marketing materials. Writing text that builds trust, gains respect, and persuades effectively becomes easier by consciously using the three filters as well.

• Special team engineering – Applying the three filters allows you to build more effective teams.

• Leadership/management development – Understanding the three filters gives powerful insight into how various individuals deal with stress and decision making.

Using an RGB filter analogy can help clarify. For example, when you hold a green filter up to your eyes you see only what reflects green light – everything else is dark. At that moment, you are blind to red and blue. Similarly, you see other people’s needs through your filter bias. 

The 3-Filters of People, Future, and Security are generic. This means they are archetypically the same for all people – regardless of culture, gender, age, ethnicity, background. The 3-Filters Technology™ is a model to understand how people process information relating to the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of human needs.

Every person has a unique blend of the 3-Filters to create a Personal Bias.
Each personal bias affects the various decisions an individual makes.
This gives a framework to understand how to:
   • Influence purchasing decisions
   • Present rewards desired from work and life
   • Affect conflict and stress responses
   • Identify vulnerabilities, strengths, and weaknesses
   • Discover likes and dislikes
   • Tap into “legacy” or “be remembered as” desires
   • Recognize subconscious priorities, and
   • Define communication styles and
   • Effectively interact with others

The 3-Filters approach is about pattern behavior. Specifically, when making a major purchase, each person has their own “reason” for taking action based on both the situation and their predominate filter or Personal Bias.

Therefore, with marketing materials you must appeal to all three filters!

Understanding the 3-Filters Technology™ increases your website effectiveness, results in higher call-to-action responses, more new customers, and significant customer retention.

CRITICAL FILTER-BIAS FACTORS

Given purchasing decisions, individuals with a:
People bias will buy the most popular, name recognized, endorsed item, and wants a fair deal

Future bias will purchase the newest, fastest, beta-released, whatever to gain a competitive advantage

Security bias will buy the most sensible, proven, dependable item

AGAIN: Your marketing materials must describe your product or service using words and images that appeal to ALL THREE BIASES.  

Strengths and desired rewards of each filter also differ.
— For example, someone with a:
People bias tends to appreciate others, is involved with groups, is a team player

Future bias tends to forge new paths, be an inventor or pioneer, and one who envisions a new future

Security bias tends to read the fine print, wants zero-defects, dependability, and appreciates quality and good value

Each bias also has challenges or vulnerabilities you can appeal to when creating marketing content that effectively persuades.
— For example, someone with a:
People bias tends to get consensus, is a procrastinator, consults peer group, doesn’t like to make decisions, and will choose people over facts

Future bias tends to place opinion over facts, is a risk-taker, inspired dreamer, and quick decision maker

Security bias tends to make safe decisions, is systematic, likes statistics and guarantees, to avoid loss, and is a slow methodical decision maker

Knowing what each bias will avoid or does not like when making a sales pitch to them is important. Those with a strong:
People bias hate strong opinions, to be left out of the loop, and decision-making. They want to know what their peers are doing.
– What they need is: An agenda with specific goals, deadlines and budgets

Future bias hate paperwork, long discussions, and slow decisions. They tend to “shoot from the hip.”
– What they need is: Specific budgets, a systems-oriented confidant to consult with

Security bias hate change, boat rockers, and rushing into things. They want to know what their options are.
– What they need is: Flexible guidelines rather than rigid rules, brainstorming with other people with other perspectives/filters.

Determining which filter people are seeing the world through?
During networking situations, listen carefully to how concerns and questions are stated. Identifying an individual bias helps you communicate to their needs more directly and personally.

People reveal what their filter bias is by the very questions or comments they voice. For example:
   “Is this the most popular solution bought in 2013?” (<People)

   “What kind of independent testing has been done?” (<Security)

   “Can I use it immediately and deal with the paperwork later?” (<Future)

   “Let’s vote to see what the consensus is.” (<People)

   “Let’s launch now before the competition knows what hit them!” (<Future) 

   “Can you guarantee that we’ll be crash-proof once we install your software patch?”   
   (<Security)

When writing marketing materials or web content, and even when naming companies or creating headlines, be aware of how specific words attract or repel each Filter Bias. For example, these company names appeal to specific filter types:
• Success Network (<People)
• Institute for Change Research (<Future)
• Measurable Performance Systems (<Security)

These tag lines and slogans also appeal to specific filter types:
• Powerful, (<Future) Proven, (<Security) and People-oriented (<People)
• Challenges, (<Future) Choices (<Security)  & Champions (<People)
• Get what you want, on time and in budget (<Security)

With your websites and brochures: include rich content and benefits to attract and retain all three types of buyers. Address their concerns – and go ahead and hit their “hot buttons”. Include in your brochure or website points important for each filter type. For example:

• The bottom line is that with X-Ware you get all of the cost and time-saving benefits, (<Security) and ease of implementation and use, (<People) without an IT staff AND you can access your X-Ware software from anywhere anytime by internet. (<Future)
  
  
• Our Whizbang uses the most advanced technology available. (<Future) It has been 3rd-party field- tested in rugged conditions to ensure durability. (<Security) It has earned the People's Choice Award as the most popular solution by X-Magazine in part becasue it is so user-freidnly - it can be setup in less than 20 minutes.(<People)

• HushSuds originated with space technology, (<Future) is NASA-endorsed, (<People) OSHA approved and dishwasher safe. (<Security)
  
  
• Cornies are Certified Organically grown, hand-inspected (<Security), and harvested at their peak and then washed and flash-frozen in the field (<Future) for maximum freshness for your family's dinner. (<People)
                   
  

The “9 Roles” for an In-depth Understanding of the 3-Filters Technology™ – Get Your Own “Life Perspective Inventory”

The unique blending of the 3-Filters creates your mental DNA, or what Larry calls your "Life Perspective". The Life Perspective Inventory™ (LPI) provides a snapshot of our 3-Filters while capturing two important pieces of information. The first is our filter bias and it gives us an indication of how we decide and what motivates.

The second piece of information the LPI captures is our Role Preference in each of three dimensions or environments. Our role preferences indicate what we like to do or are apt to do best in given circumstances. The LPI is a valuable and effective assessment designed to help individuals and teams:
    Communicate more persuasively - both verbal and written
    Improve listening and responding skills
    Build trust and gain respect
    Tap into the motivation of others
    Improve training and learning skills
    Gain support from those resistant to change
    Be more successful when dealing with individuals or teams
    Improve personal and professional relationships

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS USES FOR
THE 3-FILTERS TECHNOLOGY
The 3-Filters methodology has many important business applications including organizational growth and industry change. Nelson consults, conducts in-house training and hands-on audits, and organizational blueprinting using 3-Filters Technology™ combined with decades of marketing and business-building experience.

Find out what your personal biases are and how they function in different scenarios by completing the “Life Perspective Inventory” (LPI) online. The LPI is a questionnaire-tool to access how and why you perform as you do in various situations.

The 3-Filters can be learned and implemented at a much deeper level by attending one of Larry Nelson’s workshops in the “9 Roles for an In-Depth Understanding of Your 3-Filters”.

As a manager, leader, individual or team member, the LPI provides you with immediately applicable insights. Beyond using insights about the 3-Filters in your marketing materials, you can also use the LPI Three Filters Technology™ for:
    Team Building
    Customer Service Skills
    Planning and Goal-Setting
    Diversity Issues
    Sales Training
    Reengineering Teams
    Management Development
    Project Management
    Employee Motivation
    Conflict Resolution

With all its depth and breadth, the simplicity of the 3-Filters Technology™ helps us take quantum leaps in our understanding of the human race.

Go to http://www.icrint.com to complete you own LPI today – it’s Free!

Interested in attending a half-day or full-day Workshop in the “9 Roles for an In-Depth Understanding of Your 3-Filters”? If so, send Larry an email to get future details.

Larry Nelson can reached at 303-257-8844 (cell) or by email at larry@w3w3.com

ABOUT LARRY NELSON
Larry has lived in and owned businesses in five foreign countries. He started a dozen companies…some were extremely successful while others were learning experiences. His business ventures ranged from: retail stores to high-tech; from warehouses to direct mail; from manufacturing to human resource consulting and training.

Larry started out in the media as a publisher of a hardcopy and audio newsletter. Over the years he has conducted business seminars in 15 countries. The training business is what led him to the radio show business. First it was live terrestrial radio and then to the Internet. Hi is co-founder of w3w3® Media Network which was launched over 13 years ago which includes Internet Talk Radio, Blog and Pod-Cast.

Larry has been a consultant to both public and private-sector organizations including: AT&T, Ball Aerospace, Children’s Hospital, Dean Foods, First National Bank, GE, IBM, IRS, Johnson Controls, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Microsoft, Mobil Oil Japan, 3M, NCAR, Sanyo Australia, Toyota, Toledo Edison, US Forest Service, US Dept. of Transportation, United Way, University of Denver, University of Wisconsin, University of Colorado, and many more.

Larry's business websites include:
w3w3.com® Media Network www.w3w3.com
Training Trends™ www.w3w3.com/TrTr.htm
3-Filters Technology™ / Life Perspective Inventory™ www.icrint.com
Your Ultimate Win™ / Wordbook & Audio www.trainingtrends.com/thankyou.htm
Mastering Change in the Midst of Chaos™  www.masteringchange.net

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