Virtually every week I receive an invitation announcing an open house or a special event from a company moving into a new or larger location or celebrating some special milestone. A move into new digs or a 74th anniversary are always exciting for the business, but far too often the invitee is not offered any real incentive to actually show up — as in “what is in it for me and why should I care?”

If that sounds like your customers are self-serving, they are. It is also at the crux of getting anyone to show up or call when you are announcing any kind of event — special or not. You must make sure to tell how your event or offer affects the person(s) you are urging to action.

Here is the actual wording of an invite recently received:

“Please join us in celebrating our new facility. Clients, family and friends please drop by to enjoy our open house: (date, time, location)” followed by the company’s logo and ending with “Please RSVP by .”

Wow! I was barely able to contain my enthusiasm!

After opening the invite, I uttered two words: “So what?” Not one place in this invitation was the magic word, “you,” used ... and so it is with so many announcements or advertisements: They are too often all about the company and not so much (if anything) about the customer/invitee/prospect.

Businesses get excited about many things, among them:

• Their own “special events.”

• When they hire a hotshot from the competition.

• They add a new menu of services or line of products.

Guess what? No one actually gives a rat’s heiney about you, your event or your new product or service!

The only thing your prospect, suspect or customer cares one whit about is what is in it for THEM to come to your open house, to call for an appointment or to visit your place of business. Fail to state specifically “what’s in it for them” and you will have fired another “random arrow” into the marketplace with little chance of actually hitting anyone or moving them to action of any kind.

Back to open houses or any “event” you wish to sponsor: Create a “theme party” to make it exciting ... to make it all about your customer. Give them some genuine reasons why they should care, attend or take action.

Here is how the bland invite above might read employing this kind of approach:

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! With your generous support, encouragement and feedback, we have listened and acted. Starting on you will have access to our new customer centric location specifically designed with you and your needs in mind. Our Customer Appreciation Party will be held (date, time, location). Free door prizes awarded every 15 minutes. To-die-for snacks provided by (your town’s) premier restaurant/caterer, .

P.S. When you RSVP by , please include the code at the bottom of this invite and you will be automatically entered in our 7:55 Grand Drawing for a .”

Use your own ideas or themes, but always include a generous helping of “you” and “your” in your invite or ad.

Make any event or announcement about your customer and you will markedly increase your response. The premise is simple: Without customers, you would have no doors to open. Never forget that. Never let your employees and associates forget that. You can continue to believe in your own wonderfulness, but frankly ... keep it to yourself.

<i>Bob Schumacher has a wide range of experience gathered in over four decades as an individual entrepreneur, chain retail national sales manager and media marketing director. He is also an author and small business coach. E-mail your questions or comments to Bob at marketingemporium@bresnan.net. He’ll reply to you directly. Visit his Web site: http://www.20do80.com for a complete directory of his articles and books about small business marketing.</i>