Are They Getting the Message?

If you’re regularly including words like ‘state-of-the-art’, ‘unique’ and ‘ground-breaking’ in your marketing materials, you might want to have a bit of a re-think.  While these expressions are fine when they can be substantiated and are used in moderation, they are often over-used and can become meaningless when your marketing speak is all words and no substance. In today’s competitive climate where everyone is working harder to try and achieve more with fewer resources, people simply don’t have time to wade through to the heart of what you’re trying to say.  Every word counts, so all your words must be based on how you can deliver what your marketplace needs from you.

Simply by drawing up a list of key messages that can be used consistently across all sales and marketing tactics and channels you will find that your marketplace starts to understand your proposition much more clearly and will recall you more easily. Consistent messaging will help you rise to the top of internet searches too!

Here are our tips on how to define your proposition and stay on message:

• Ask your customer base what they are looking for in a supplier/consultant/contractor like you and address their points in your messages
• Combine messages that express your customers’ ‘want list’ with your USPs and value proposition
• Hold an informal branding workshop internally to explore what values make your business different and feed these into your messages
• Check that you can substantiate the messages you’ve come up with
• Ensure your messages are delivered consistently across your sales and marketing materials.