Talk About Why They Buy!
When messaging to customers, many talk about value. But the value they’re talking about is what’s valuable from their own perspective. Watch what happens to your messaging when you focus on what’s of
Does your messaging sound dull to you? Flat? Not particularly compelling?
That’s no surprise. The way we’ve all been taught to write has little to do with how to write messages that compel the reader to take a specific action. We spend more time introducing ourselves and explaining ourselves. The result seldom lights anyone or anything on fire.
Simon Sinek is right on target in the title of his book, Start with Why.”
It’s Not All About You
When it comes to your messaging, it really isn’t all about you!
A long-time industry friend loves to say that, “Everyone has the same favorite radio station. WII-FM, “What’s In It For Me?” Radio. And the customers you’re writing to are no exception. In fact, they are the embodiment of the rule! When they invest in IT services and products its never for the sake of owning the equipment or receiving the services:
It’s not about how long you’ve been in business, though it does signal financial stability.
It’s not about how well you do what you do.
It’s not about who you partner with, though it does reflect your focus on what you do well.
It’s not about how highly regarded you are in the business.
It’s not about how many people you have, as long as you have enough to do the job well.
It’s not even about return-on-investment (ROI) or total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) partly because these are almost always near impossible to accurately calculate, and even more difficult to apportion to various activities.
It’s All About Value
The value of what you do for your customers will drive ROI up and TCO down. More to the point, it will all show up on your customer’s bottom line. Value is why they buy.
In your messaging, the value you talk about must be the value readers feel is available to them. What you do and how you do it pales in comparison to what value they will enjoy as a result of engaging you. It’s all about value, and it’s all about value to them, to your customers. What’s in it for them.
This is not just about a value statement. Those are easy. “Tastes Better”, “Costs Less”,”The Industry Leader” are all platitudes, but they don’t specify value. Value is in the eye of the beholder, but most everybody looks for similar value. Make things work better. Make it easier for people to do a better job. Reduce operating costs. Increase revenue. When what you do conveys value, it does so in ways that are palpable and very, very desirable to your customers.
Begin With Value
You have a very slim chance of getting anyone to read your messaging in the first place.
If they recognize your name as who the message is coming from, they may feel its worth reading to see what you have to say.
If your subject line is provocative enough to vividly suggest high value, they’ll open your message.
Once they’ve opened your email, you only have one sentence with which to convince them to read your entire message. That’s the first sentence.
What Do You Do with Your First Sentence?
If you’re like most people who learned how to write in school, you’ll usually begin every new message by introducing yourself, and thanking the reader for giving you the opportunity to communicate with them.
“Thank you for meeting with me last week. As your representative from Terrific Technologies it is my job to assure your satisfaction with our services.”
YAWN.
Let’s try again:
“The security problems we discussed last week are getting worse. It’s only a matter of time before you experience a major data loss.”
Now you’ve got their attention. It’s obvious that you know the pain they’re feeling. You clearly know what’s at stake. Next you’ll follow through with excellent suggestions as to how to protect their data and avoid that imminent attack.
If your first sentence is compelling enough, they’ll at least scan the titles in your messaging. That will likely lead to them reading the most important parts of your solution.
End With Value
Through the body of your message you’ll provide evidence which clearly demonstrates your ability to resolve their challenges.
When you finally get to the end, deliver a clear description of the value your solution provides to compel readers to take you up on your all-important call-to-action (CTA).
“The longer you delay, the more cybercriminals learn about your network and how to penetrate it. Don’t wait for the worst. Contact us today at……..”
Start Now
Write your next marketing or sales message now, while these ideas are fresh in your mind. Remember to make it all about the value the customer will enjoy from you. Keep it in the context of your customer. Don’t waste time bragging about how great you are, or how long you’ve been in business, or what everybody says about you. Those can come later. Right now, talk all about value, value to your customer.
Don’t be surprised if you find your new messaging is much more stimulating, much more engaging, and much more effective even to you!