I joined a group of colleagues recently to brainstorm a request from one person’s client: “Develop a catchy, differentiating idea that hooks prospects.”

In the client’s professional services niche, meeting that request would be challenging:

• They provide multiple services to client companies
• Within those companies, at least two functional departments are involved
• The problems they solve or prevent differ, depending on which functional department(s) they serve
• The benefits of their services are different depending on the type of decision-maker in those departments
• Prior to experiencing the services, everything can seem very intangible to the decision-makers

Catchy and differentiating can be tricky to achieve even when you have one audience with one challenge, and you provide one solution and one primary benefit!

The deeper we got into it, though, we realized that differentiation — while highly desirable — is actually not the #1 thing they need from their marketing.

“Catchy and differentiating” doesn’t address what their prospects most need to know in deciding to become customers.

What is Your Prospect’s #1 Question?

Most companies that have been around a while have competitors in their category.

Given that, differentiation matters because the main question most prospects have will be “Among all the firms that offer me [a certain product / service category], why should I choose your company?”

When that’s the #1 question, the #1 job for your marketing communication is to answer that question.

So you would indeed want a differentiation statement, following this formula:

The [noun that tells your company’s business scope] that [statement about what’s valuably different from competing solutions].

For example, the automated production equipment manufacturer that helps get and keep a new machine running at full capacity and making money for the customer sooner than any competing equipment supplier can.

When “Why you?” is Not Your Prospect’s #1 Question

Back to the brainstorming and our client’s request for a catchy, differentiating idea...

The service solution they offer is new and novel. Very few prospects know of the category of services our client company provides. In Voice of the Prospect interviews and in conversations at trade shows, my colleague heard many prospects say “Wow, I had no idea a company like yours existed! Yes, let’s talk.”

So in this case, the #1 job for marketing is not differentiation. (That need will come later.)

Rather, it’s necessary first to communicate:

• Ideal customer — the type(s) of companies that have the problem or future challenge for which our client can provide an ideal solution
• The outcomes the solution makes possible
• A simple overview of their solution (i.e. the category they are establishing)

It’s important that the solution is communicated in the context of solving or preventing a problem and delivering an outcome. This makes an explicit connection between what concerns prospects, and the results that the solution makes possible.

That simple set of messages should dominate their marketing communications. For example, their website must meet the needs of visitors who don’t know the company and aren’t familiar with the solution category. That’ll be true for collateral, sales presentations, blog posts, etc.

Other messages should be secondary.

To Decide to Become Customers, What Do Your Prospects Most Need to Know?

What, if your prospects knew or realized it, would make them more likely to become your customers?

If you have done research and already know that, you can review your marketing communications to see if adjustments are required to line up with what prospects most need to know.

If you don’t know the answer, consider Voice of the Prospect interviews as one step in uncovering that information.

Most of my clients are very good at making their products or providing their services. Often, they are also quite successful at turning prospects into customers—once they get a meeting.

What’s much more difficult is getting the attention of “suspects” and getting them intrigued and receptive to a discussion.

It’s why many business owners and executives get outside help from people with a proven process for doing it.

And it’s why I developed VisibleValue^® marketing message development. Again and again, companies that I’ve helped went from a message that wasn’t “landing” with prospects, to a message that resonates with prospects because it speaks their language and tells them what they most need to know.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more, head over here.