The HFM - Delighting your audience into being obsessed with you
Man Bites Dog I guardianmarketing.substack.com
If you've gone down the R3 rabbit hole1, no doubt you've run into the "Holy F$#k Moment" (HFM).
This is a moment in a point of transition, a point of action, where you have the opportunity to absolutely delight your prospect, your customer, your fan, beyond their expectations.
It's an opportunity to create a little more gravitational pull which they will ultimately find irresistible.
Let's unravel the HFM, what it is, as well as how you can spot the opportunities and take advantage of them.
There's a market sophistication and awareness approach to this, but there's also just a real intuitive human approach to this.
Let's tackle the more intuitive human approach first.
What is a HFM and Why is it Useful?
The HFM happens during first touch moments for prospects and customers. The two most obvious in your marketing system are going to be the first time they sign up to your email list and the first time they purchase something.
There are many more points where HFMs could be throughout your business and your marketing system. If we think about what's happening at those two points, we can unpack the dynamics at play and find other places where there are first touches and opportunities to create HFMs.
On the most basic level a "Holy F@#k Moment" is when a prospect or a customer has such a good experience - one which is often unusual and/or unexpected - they are essentially shocked and delighted, creating a much closer bond and interest for them with you or your business.
"Shocked" is a bit of an exaggeration, but one of the key components in the HFM is the unexpected nature of the experience.
Let's think about it from a buying perspective.
If you go onto a business's website to buy some soap. You buy that soap. That soap arrives in a box. Everything has gone as you'd expect.
No one gets bonus points for delivering on the expectation.
But if that box of soap comes with a nice letter and maybe a couple samples you weren't expecting ... *now that's a notable moment.*
That's something which makes you go "wow I really like these people."
That's a HFM.
(The effect of this sort of thing is warped by market expectation - which we'll get into)
I'm using that as an example because as you may be able to see (and we'll unfold more as we go), the expectation that your prospect/customer brings to the table, the expectation which is set by the experience all come to a point where you have an opportunity to break the mold and give them something which delights them.
Why would you do this?
Well ...
Why wouldn't you want to delight your prospects and customers?
People buy from those they know like and trust.
If you follow along with pretty much everything we publish here on Man Bites Dog, you may notice that all the boring stuff we highlight is really just straightforward relationship advice.
Because the most reliable way to build raving fans, to have long term inevitable growth, is to have really good relationships with your audience. There's nothing quite as positively impactful on a relationship as completely surpassing the other person's expectations in a good way.
So here comes the intuitive human approach -
What Are They Expecting?
Ask yourself that question throughout your entire marketing ecosystem. Every time you ask someone to do something, every time they take a step, every time they get some kind of communication from you, every time they transition - especially if they are changing phases (See R32) - ask yourself what are they expecting?
And then ask yourself how can I positively surpass that expectation?
Here's a simple one I've used for years with email:
Most email lead generation looks like this ...
A landing page with a bribe to opt in, they opt in, get their bribe by email, and then are transitioned into being sold one or more things.
That can be just fine.
But there's an opportunity in this experience.
What is their expectation? When they opt in with their email, their expectation is to receive the thing they have opted in for.
Well,
Why not give them the thing they opted in for ... and then also give them something else which they aren't expecting which either makes the thing they opted in for even better, or just similarly adds to their experience?
It might not sound like much. But an unannounced gift, with nothing being asked of in return, is powerful.
(I have a few HFM email suggestions which I'll expand on in R3 for Email)
I'm going to possibly break the expectation a little bit for ourselves and give you insight into how this looks for us here at Man Bites Dog (and The Guardian Academy).
Because we asked ourselves this as well.
When someone becomes a paying subscriber on Man Bites Dog or The Guardian Academy ... how can we give them a HFM?
For these publications, we've taken to the physical mailbox in order to deliver that experience. There are a few more dynamics at play going into this choice, but from the perspective of the HFM, let's think through it.
MBD and TGA are publications on Substack. That means the expectation and experience to sign up for our Substack is pretty set - especially if you've subscribed to other Substacks.
When it comes to paid Substack, this experience also has a fairly set expectation. Typically you pay a Substack for greater access. Articles that are locked. Comments and discussion which can only be had by paid members. Live chats. Etc.
While we have an opportunity (for a HFM) in the email that is sent to people after they subscribe, every other Substack has the same experience. Some people may be delighted by how we welcome them into our publications - but again, we wanted to really go beyond the expectation.
To do this we decided to step out of the digital publication and into the physical mailbox.
Those who become paid subscribers are given the opportunity to sign up to receive some goodies from us. And then those who opt in for that experience receive a really delightful package in the mail. An entire experience no one is expecting when they become a paid subscriber.
That's the essence of a HFM.
Understand what your prospect/customer is expecting in the experience ... far surpass that experience positively.
It can be as simple as how you communicate in your initial emails, but it can also be as complex as sending physical mail/gifts, calling people on the phone, and generally giving them things and welcoming them in ways which are entirely unexpected.
Let your imagination be your guide. Use your intuitive understanding of how people are experiencing your business and what they are expecting to guide you to those points where you can wow them.
That example opens the door for a different perspective on this.
A more analytical one.
You might have noticed in the above how I talked about the general experience expectation of Substack itself.
Beyond just the structural dynamic of your own business, the market and environment all impact what an individual's expectation is going to be going into whatever it is you are doing.
An analytical approach
In copywriting, we learn to think about where the other person is in their experience and expectation going into the interactions with your business - and that is largely based on the dynamics of your particular market and how people interact and understand that market as well as where your business fits in it.
Two contrasting examples before I go into detail:
Consider a business owner who has been owning/running businesses for a decade or more. They have a lot of experience using Software as a Service type products to run their business. They are well versed in the market for their particular business, what services are out there which can help that business grow and solve particular problems.
This business owner is not going to be swayed by "we have the best customer management software!" Because they've heard this argument a thousand times. They are jaded by many experiences of being sold the best and ending up with garbage. They've seen every type of marketing there is to be found around SAAS type products. They know that there is no "best" - and that what they're really after is something more nuanced.
This business's owners expectations are heavily colored by their experience in the market. If you don't have an understanding of what that experience is, you can't know their expectations, nor can you then exceed those expectations to create HFMs.
On the other hand.
Consider a new outdoor backpacking enthusiast. They've gone on a few backpacking trips and are really excited to upgrade their equipment and go on longer and more interesting trips in the back country.
They don't know what's out there. They've started looking at gear at larger companies like REI, and stumbling upon independent Youtubers and smaller cottage industry businesses selling interesting looking products. They've signed up to a few email lists, while mostly watching Youtubers review and demonstrate products and experiences in the wild.
This person has little to no expectations going into things. They are discovering a whole new industry, and it's one which is not flooded with heavy handed marketing and selling. Most people are selling some "better" version of something else and it's pretty easy to be convinced into buying something new and shiny.
We can look at the kinds of businesses this person is interacting with, the kind of marketing they are receiving, and see how easy it is to surpass their expectations. They are even looking to be wowed by someone if only the right person would stand up and delight them.
Market Sophistication and Awareness.
These concepts come originally from Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz. I learned them studying copywriting under Lukas Resheske3.
Sophistication of a market is a gauge we use to measure in a broad sense where the market is in terms of their perspective and understanding. There are 5 stages. First to Market (unique product/solution no one has seen before), Direct Claims (the best thingy, the better best thingy), New Mechanism (a new reason to believe an old claim), Better Mechanism (the better version of that new thing), Saturated (claims and mechanisms tend to fall on jaded ears).
The details of those stages are not so important for this consideration.
Just understand this: The more there is in a market, around problems/solutions and claims, the more sophisticated the buyers become. The more evolved their expectations. If you're in a First to Market situation where you are offering something actually unique, the product itself can be it's own HFM. There's no established expectation. The further up you get in sophistication towards Saturated, the more your prospect and customer's expectation is going to be shaped and colored by that market.
(And I'd argue, the more useful creating HFMs becomes - in a completely Saturated Market it's going to be the business that delights people most which wins)
Awareness pertains to your business, the solutions you provide, the problems you solve, and the desires of your prospects and customers. This also has 5 stages. Unaware, Desire Aware, Problem Aware, Solution Aware, You Aware.
We typically don't worry about unaware folks. Desire aware people have a desire which can lead to a problem and a solution which you provide. Problem aware people know they have a problem but don't know the solution. Solution aware people are looking for a specific solution to a problem they have. You aware people know you, the solutions you provide, the problems you can help them solve, etc.
This is the technical analysis which can help you identify HFMs.
Because a big part of understanding sophistication and awareness is researching the competition your prospects and customers are engaging with, which will aid greatly in understanding the expectation that your prospect and customer has coming into your business.
Want to know how to really wow your customers?
Understand the experience they have in the market combined with the expectation they have with you, and then deliver in different and more delightful ways.
But also understand that the market sophistication and their awareness changes, and that changes their expectations and what can constitute a HFM.
An example in email:
When I built out the email strategy for my coffee magazine 10 years ago, I figured out the broad market expectation through research of sophistication and awareness levels in my target audience.
10 years ago, there was very low sophistication, especially when it came to email. Everyone's email experience when it came to coffee and related subjects was essentially to get a coupon bribe onto an email list, where nearly every communication would be "buy this."
Knowing roughly what people were expecting, when they came onto my list my first email invited them into a personal conversation (I asked some questions which they could reply to answer). That may not sound like much now, but at the time this is something no one else was doing. I received repeated positive responses along the lines of "I've never had such a good experience before" from people coming onto the list.
Here's one version of that email tactic I used:
(The full email along with the rest of the series it's a part of will be included in R3 for Email)
These days, simply inviting people to conversation is less effective in creating a "wow" moment because it's much more common that people have experienced that sort of tactic (it's very simple to implement).
Remember, their experience colors their expectation.
Were I to build out the email strategy for that same business today, I'd do the same work as before - researching the experiences and expectations they are likely having elsewhere in the market so that I can position myself above and beyond those experiences and expectations.
If you take the analytical approach, the higher the sophistication of an audience, the more outside the box you'll want to think.
Bringing it back to the MBD/TGA example - this is a higher sophistication audience. So we chose to step much more outside the box with our crafting of that HFM.
Remember the soap.
The 'buying soap' example I gave toward the beginning. Where you go to a website, purchase some soap, and have it delivered.
If you are running a cottage industry type business like that (small batch, hand crafted products), it's a nice opportunity to create a HFM in the delivery of that product.
BUT
You might want to consider that every other business like yours is also sending a "hand written letter" in their packaging and possibly giving samples.
If that's the case,
Then those nice extra touches can become the expectation.
That's what you need to keep an eye out for. The shifting expectations as market sophistication evolves, as awareness increases for your prospect and your customer. The more they know, the more established and detailed the expectation, the more you'll want to step beyond that.
Which is one of the reasons I personally just come back to this point ...
Just be a person
For me it becomes an intuitive approach. The analytical copywriting research is useful as a general compass, but I always come back to asking myself the questions ...
What are they experiencing?
What are they expecting?
How can I delight them as they take steps and actions forward?
I ask these questions all the way down the line. When they opt in. When they answer an email. When they take an action i want them to take. When they purchase something. When they purchase again. When they raise their hand to step forward in the stages. When they solidify themselves as fans.
Where are those opportunities to exceed the expectation?
How can I connect with this person and give them a better experience? How can I be most useful and of service?
This doesn't have to be a serious thing. In fact, many times it may not be appropriate to do so.
Just think deeply about the person and what might make them go "holy f#3k, these people are awesome."
Think about what would surprise and delight YOU.
Make it fun, interesting, entertaining, light, etc ... put a smile on their face, lighten their step ... and you've really got them.
Be Useful. Be Present. Love the Journey.
, CMO Man Bites Dog
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I continue to learn and benefit from this outstanding series. LOVE the encouragement to nurture delight into the onboarding process!
Yes still remember that special feeling that stayed and made me a loyal client.