When I ask people what their company does or sells, they quickly start to describe the features of their product and service. It’s a reflex, this rattling off of details and descriptors of what they are able to do, like a charming talking catalog.  And that is great- I mean, if your company doesn’t have anything to offer, you’d be up a creek. 

But are the details of what you do the real selling point?  Arguably, no.  The basics of what you do is your ante to be in the game, your entry fee to even play.  The finer points that distinguish you, set you apart, and make you better are the “benefits” that your future customers are looking for.  If you’re rattling off your features you are telling your market what you want them to hear, and not focusing enough on what they want to hear. 

To improve your marketing communications, take a moment and put yourself in the mind of your consumer. And not just any consumer- your ideal best customer. What do they care about? Begin thinking about your distinction points from there.  Why? Because if you focus from the wrong angle, you will be able to describe differentiating points about what you do, but it won’t be the points that actually matter.  

example:  A gym in downtown San Diego might focus on how many classes they offer.  Great! You have a gym, you have classes! Congratulations, you now have enough ante to even be considered among the other 3-5 San Diego gym and fitness fliers sitting in my mailbox on any given day. 

You’re in an urban area, suffice to say your local demographic is largely young professionals.  Consider it this way: your target market young professional generally will care about three things: getting a solid workout that makes good use of the free time they don’t have, being in a cool environment worthy of their attendance, and being able to shower and get off to work or wherever they’re off to next. And yet most of the fliers I see focus on a weak shot of an empty room of equipment -and pricing!  

As I read in a great article today, “If the best thing you can say about your product or service is that it’s on sale, you haven’t said a lot.” (source: Beth Smith, CEO of Smith Browning Direct, Inc., as quoted in “All Systems Grow: Power Promotion“)  Sit with that.

The need to bring your benefits (not just your features!) into sharp focus in your marketing communications applies to both businesses and individual professional resumes.  Often I see resumes that list a skill set – a good communicator, responsible for a big department, expertise in such-and-such software, you name it.  These are lines on a resume; they don’t paint a picture of a professional individual and how they uniquely fit into my organization.  What is missing is the brand – what is setting this candidate apart from the other 200 resumes responding to the ad?  Having a skill set in a resume is the ante to play. Now you have to double down on your brand.