There’s a simple formula that can help your clients see the value in what you do.
Here it is:
“We help [audience] go from [symptom] to [result].”
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you run an interior design firm.
You help companies who want an amazing office, but don’t know where to start.
If you’re like most people, you might tell people something like, “We’re Denver’s top interior design firm. For 35 years, we’ve created stylish designs for commercial clients throughout Colorado.”
The problem with that statement is this: it’s all about you and not about your client.
People checking you out online want to know what you do and how that helps them. So let’s use the formula to convey more value from the client’s perspective:
“We help Colorado offices go from off-brand and cluttered to inviting and inspiring.”
Or, “We help Colorado offices go from outdated to attractive to new hires.”
A strong message is benefits—focused
Whatever you do, make the benefits clear to the reader.
Make sure you’re marketing mindfully. Mindful marketing is about helping and educating first, which you can best do by understanding yourself from your customers’ point of view. The question becomes not “What do I do?” but instead, “How can I help? What can I help people achieve?”
Ok – back to reimagining your value proposition.
Here’s an alternative of the formula:
“Through [service] we help [audience] get [benefit]
Our example design firm might say:
“Through interior design, we help Colorado businesses create vibrant workspaces that energize employees.”
Or, a third alternative of the formula (inspired Lead Cookie):
“We help [audience] get/do [benefit] through [service]”
So: “We help Colorado companies attract and keep top talent with thoughtful interior design.”
Simplified for a website header, this might read:
“Attract and keep top talent for your Colorado company with an office that inspires.”
And a sub-header: “Interior design that energizes your team.”
The point is to help your clients imagine where they’ll be after working with you.
Paint a picture of a transformation
These formulas aren’t set in stone. They’re flexible, and the way you use it depends on your business and how you benefit your clients.
How you benefit your clients is the most important part.
We like to imagine our prospects reading every word of our websites and LinkedIn profiles. But just like you, they’ve got other stuff to do.
Your prospective clients want to know “What’s in it for me?” in about 5 seconds.
Your clients are coming to you because they are frustrated with something. They know that thing could be better, and they’re ready to do something about it.
Here’s another example:
For this imaginary design company, say their target customers are Denver tech companies competing to keep the best talent.
These companies know their workspaces are outdated and undesirable compared to similar employers. Maybe a few top employees have even left for firms with offices that are just nicer to work in.
Now let’s imagine a hiring or operations manager at this tech company. They’re looking for a solution to this problem.
Like most people these days, they do their own research before doing any sales calls. They head to Google: “interior design firms Denver”; “Office interior design Denver”.
They open up a few tabs, start reading websites, clicking over to Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
They might call a colleague or two for recommendations, and do some digging on them, too.
Make it simple and clear
At this stage, our manager is looking for any reason to disqualify a company so they can narrow their search.
This part’s easy for the researcher: terrible HTML website? Cross it off. Messaging that makes me have to think too hard? Next.
How does this interior design firm make it through the weed–cutting stage?
- By having a decent website (doesn’t have to be the best, but it has to work)
- By having a message that doesn’t confuse
But like most companies, they don’t want to just scrape by. They want to stand out. They believe in their work and know it’s worth what they charge.
So how do they stand out?
- By having a message — consistent across all platforms — that is clear and driven by benefits.
You can have the snazziest website in the world, but if the headline says “Leveraging enhanced design solutions for discerning Colorado companies”… you’re going to get a lot of head–scratching and not a lot of money in the bank.
On top of that, they need to be able to sell their coworkers and bosses on the value of your services. Your message should help them explain that value.
If it’s clear enough, they might even find themselves repeating your message (rather than struggling to explain why it’s the right call to hire you).
Four questions to uncover what matters to your clients
If your company’s message is repeatable and compelling, it will help get you more business.
If it’s vague or confusing, it won’t.
Start today by considering four questions:
- What transformation do we take our clients through?
- What painful, expensive, or frustrating problems were our best past clients dealing with BEFORE working with us?
- How did they experience those problems on a daily basis?
- What did life look like after we helped them?
Then take this message repeat it. On your website, in your emails, on your LinkedIn.
A strong message is one both you and your prospects can memorize and repeat.
That’s how you communicate the value in your services.