1 – Find out what you do

Do you really know what you do? This might seem like a slightly bizarre question but the first step to getting your messaging right is making sure that you have a clear and uncluttered view of exactly what you do, who you do it for and the problems that you solve.

It’s not as simple as it sounds, you may have different value propositions for different segments within your market. You may find that customers are buying from you for reasons you didn’t expect.

Go back to basics. Speak to existing customers and pick the brains of your sales team to try to find out what really sells your product. Once you’ve established exactly what that core value is you’ll be on your way to creating an effective message.

2 – Never assume that your customer has your level of expertise or industry knowledge.

We often come across high-level marketing copy that’s clearly been written by an expert for an expert. While that’s ideal for detailed technical information it’s not necessarily so effective for headline marketing material.

A whole mix of people might be involved in the purchasing process for a complex technical product, and many of these may not have a technical background. To enjoy success with a large decision-making unit that’s likely to be composed of finance people, purchasers and marketers as well as engineers, your message needs to be pitched at the right level. Your target audience shouldn’t have to spend time working out what it is you offer, so make it easy for them. Assume nothing and you won’t go far wrong.

3 – Get straight to the value, the details can wait.

Technical people live for detail, it’s what differentiates them from us marketing folk but there’s a time and a place for ‘information’. Your high level marketing message is not that place.

Keep in mind that your audience is bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every day, from the smiley face on the cereal box to the glossy white paper from your competitor, they’ll be filtering out marketing noise all day long and making instantaneous judgements on what is and what isn’t relevant to them.

To cut through that noise, you need to make your marketing message bold, succinct and memorable. The best way to do this is to focus on the value you deliver. If you can communicate that value with clarity you’ll capture your target’s attention and provoke his curiosity.