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Clarify Messaging to get to the Essence
Pick a product or service and compare their messaging. Quality. Speed. Service. Blah Blah Blah. It often feels like all websites for a given product or industry “sound” the same? The words they use and the points they make sound the same. And yet, when it comes to hiring a vendor to provide a service or buying a product from a retailer, it turns out they are typically very, very different. That may explain why the average return rate for products to Amazon is 5-15% and with certain product categories, such as jewelry and electronics, the return rate can go as high as 40%. The messaging is so similar that it’s hard to differentiate a gem from junk. While vendors may all say the same things, they definitely don’t all perform the same. That’s because most messaging doesn’t do a good job of differentiating mastery from mediocrity. To maximize sales, the first step is to hone the messaging.
The problem is getting worse thanks to AI. While artificial intelligence is being billed as a great way to generate content and product messaging on the cheap, it falls short because it all starts to sound exactly the same. When everyone uses similar templates and frameworks and looks at competitors’ messaging to decide what to say, everyone’s messaging starts to sound the same. That’s precisely why getting a deep understanding of the brand and achieving message clarity pays dividends.
What is Message Clarity?
It might seem that “message clarity” is self-defining. Message clarity is about being understood. But that falls far short of the actual definition. Real message clarity is about more than just being understood. It is about being perfectly understood. And there is a lot that goes into this.
It helps to lean on Aristotle to get to the essence of any brand product or service in order to better talk about it and market it. Aristotle said “Essence is the thing that makes the thing be the thing.” Read that again, but break it down.
Essence is THE THING…THAT MAKES THE THING…BE THE THING.
To be perfectly understood, you start by answering these three bedrock foundational questions.
- WHAT IS IT? – What is this thing that we’re selling at its essence? What makes the thing “the thing”?
- WHAT DOES IT DO? – At its core, what does this thing do?
- WHY DOES IT MATTER? – Why would this thing matter to the people it should matter to?
Five Ways to Clarify Messaging
So how do you answer these questions in a meaningful way? You want to:
1. Know your audience – The most effective writing and speaking is directed to a particular audience, but tailoring the messages in the digital world is tough since channels of communication aren’t discrete. However, you do need to leverage the tools at hand to direct the right messages to the right audiences, in their preferred channels. Work on the balance between a voice that fits the platform in question but is also uniquely yours.
2. Have an organizing principle – One obstacle to clarity is coordinating messages from often divergent sources. Be sure that marketing, social media, employee communications, investor relations, the corporate office — everyone — is singing from the same songbook. Use an organizing principle to guide all these efforts — if it’s distinctive, this can even be your company’s mission, vision or purpose. It can also be a key message, core set of beliefs, or any shared set of guiding thoughts.
3. Be consistent – There’s no better way to muddle up a message than to contradict oneself! Once there is an organizing principle, ground all messages in it.
4. Avoid industry jargon – Use plain language. When writing brand messaging, there is a tendency to make things more convoluted than they need be. This can be for any number of reasons: perhaps to convey a greater sense of authority, or to showcase the latest and greatest products. Don’t let temptation win! Too much tech-speak or geek-speak will cause the audience’s eyes to glaze over. Use the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Sonny.
5. Be memorable and human – Keep the messages short—they’re easier to remember. And it’s always best to show rather than tell. Simple and evocative messages are best since they are easy to remember, understand and connect to on a human level. Remember, your messaging is speaking to real people, not just “employees,” “investors,” “businesses,” or “customers.”
Of course, to really answer the three BIG questions, it’s important to dig deeper and answer some more granular questions. Here’s a laundry list to help spur the clarification process.
30 Granular Questions to Clarify Messaging
Understand Your Core
- What is the origin story of our brand?
- Why did we start this company?
- What are our core values?
- What principles guide our decision-making?
- What is our mission statement?
- What problem are we trying to solve in the world?
- What is our vision for the future?
- Where do we want to be in 5-10 years?
- What are the three most important words that describe our brand personality? (e.g. trustworthy, innovative, responsive)
Know Your Audience
- Who is our ideal customer? Demographics. Psychographics. Lifestyle.
- What are our customers’ biggest pain points or challenges?
- What are our customers’ aspirations and hopes?
- What values do our customers share with our brand?
- How do our customers currently perceive our brand?
Competitive Advantage
- Who are our main competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- What makes our brand unique and different from the competition?
- What specific advantage do we offer that customers can’t find elsewhere?
- What proprietary technologies or processes do we have that set us apart?
- Do we have any historical achievements or awards that showcase our expertise?
Craft Your Message
- What is the one key message we want customers to remember about our brand?
- What specific benefit are we offering that improves our customers’ lives?
- How does our product or service make our customers feel?
- What emotions do we want to evoke with our brand message?
- What tone of voice should we use in our communication? (e.g. professional, humorous, friendly)
Messaging Consistency and Impact
- How can we weave our brand message into all aspects of our customer experience?
- What storytelling elements can we incorporate to make our message resonate?
- How can we use visuals and design to communicate our brand message?
- What metrics will we use to track the effectiveness of our brand message?
- How can we ensure continuous improvement and refinement of our brand message?
- How can we use sounds, music and other auditory cues to communicate our brand message and make it more memorable?
By asking these granular questions, leadership teams can delve deeper into the heart of their brand, define their essence clearly, and craft a message that is both unique and memorable. When you know the answers to these questions, it is much easier to quickly connect product to audience. And, more than that, it makes all downstream marketing efforts way easier.
Why Clarity Matters
A clear brand message acts as a beacon, communicating the company’s essence to the target audience and fostering a connection. Consider a company selling organic cleaning products. Their message could simply be: “All our cleaning products are organic.” But so is cow compost, so that description doesn’t really help. It doesn’t get to the product’s essence. A more impactful message might be: “We empower families to have clean, healthy, chemical-free homes for their loved ones.” This conveys not just the product (cleaners) but the core value (health, family) and the emotional benefit (peace of mind).
There are multiple benefits to clear messaging besides making marketing efforts easier. Clear messaging results in:
Increased Sales – When customers understand the company’s value proposition, they’re more likely to see the benefit of the product or service and make a purchasing decision. Clarity fosters trust, which is essential for conversion.
Enhanced Brand Recognition – A clear, consistent message makes the brand stand out in the marketplace. People can easily recall what the brand represent and associate it with specific values.
Boosted Customer Loyalty – When customers feel a genuine connection to a brand’s essence, they’re more likely to become loyal advocates. They’ll choose that brand over competitors and recommend it to others.
Real World Examples of Clarified Messaging at Work
1. Mailchimp
Original Message – Mailchimp offered email marketing software. Their focus was on features, making it technical and impersonal.
Clarified Messaging – They embraced a message of “Empowering you to build your best brand.”
Result – This resonated with small businesses, emphasizing the freedom to connect with customers on their terms. Mailchimp experienced significant growth and solidified its position as a leader in email marketing.
2. Airbnb
Original Message – Airbnb offered a platform for booking vacation rentals. The experience felt impersonal compared to hotels.
Clarified Messaging – They positioned themselves as the “Belong Anywhere” brand.
Result – Their message evoked a sense of connection and community, highlighting unique experiences in local homes. Airbnb grew exponentially, disrupting the traditional hospitality industry.
3. Slack
Original Message – Enterprise communication solutions are often complex and clunky. Businesses struggle with inefficient communication tools.
Clarified Messaging – Slack presented itself as the “Future of Work.” Their message focused on streamlining collaboration and fostering a more engaging workplace experience.
Result – Slack became a go-to productivity tool for businesses of all sizes.
These examples showcase how companies can harness the power of clear messaging to stand out, connect with their audience, and achieve sustainable success. They demonstrate that focusing on the essence of a brand, crafting a message that resonates, and weaving it into every aspect of the business can lead to increased sales.
Indeed, in his book “Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen,” Donald Miller put it best: “If you confuse, you’ll lose.” Basically, in the vast marketplace, where attention spans are limited and choices are endless, the importance of clarity simply cannot be overstated.
Quote of the Week
“A clear message is the greatest asset your brand can possess. It creates demand and drives sales.” Donald Miller
© 2024, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.
The post How To Maximize Sales No Matter What You Are Selling, Part 2 first appeared on Monday Mornings with Madison.