Never before was your product’s message so important as it is now for you to grow your business.
Because it doesn’t matter if you have the best product in the world if nobody can see its value.
That means that if your competitors can explain their products better than you, your customers will buy from them.
Even if your product is better!
That’s how important your message is. Because it is your message that gives value to your product.
Not the features, or the materials, or the design.
It’s the story you tell. The message you use to position your product in people’s minds.
That’s what gives value to it. Your product just delivers on the promise created by your story.
Quick Example
As cool as SpaceX rockets are, the only reason why we value them is because of the story told by Elon Musk.
If he wouldn’t talk about humans having to become an interplanetary species to continue our own existence, we wouldn’t care.
He could talk all day about the capabilities of the rockets, and how impossible it has been to figure them out. And all the physics behind them.
But, instead, he focuses on the vision. The idea of living on Mars. The need for bigger and bigger reusable rockets to travel through space.
So next time you talk about your product, take a step back.
Stop looking at the product, and instead ask yourself, why does this matter? Why should they care?
And talk about that instead.
Nobody Cares About Your Product
All the stuff we buy, we buy it because we desire something but we can’t get it because we have a problem. So to move forward, we buy the solution to help us rid of the problem.
That’s it. It’s all about the results. What we really buy is results.
So the faster you can shift your message away from talking about your product. And start talking about the problem and the desire your customer has, the faster you’ll see the money.
But here is where the challenge is.
We are so close to our product, that it’s really hard to see it as customers see it. Constantly hustling to improve it, we end up thinking customers care for the same things we do.
Here is my 3 step framework for developing a product message that gets customers interested in it.
1. Stop talking about product features. Instead, focus on the results and the problem.
Do you care about how your clothes are made? Or how the food you eat is grown? Besides probably trying to make sure it’s organic… most likely you don’t.
The customer just wants to go from A to B.
Imagine if you want to hire a guide to help you get to the summit of Mont Blanc in Europe. You don’t care about the route. You care about getting all the way up and back fast, safely, and with great views.
Now, imagine the guide starts telling you about how wide the path is, and how much work it takes to keep it like that. How some parts have dirt, some stones, and some are even paved. Impressive right?!
Don’t think so…
But if the guide would say, this route is beautiful you will relax and enjoy unique views few people get to enjoy. This route is perfect for beginners who like to be outdoors but, don’t want it to feel like a challenge.
It’s very different. Desire + Problem.
Just look at the latest Apple commercials on Apple. Not a single word about the product is said. Follow the pros.
2. Stop trying to be the hero of the story.
Here is the biggest mistake companies make when trying to use storytelling. And it’s a big one. Getting this wrong means that instead of attracting and connecting with customers you’ll push them away.
Because we are so close to our product, when companies hear about the hero’s journey, they think they are the hero. After all, you worked hard, solve challenges, and managed to save the day with a unique product.
That sounds like a hero story for sure.
But in the eyes of the customer, they are their own hero too! And since they are trying to solve a problem, they haven’t saved the day yet.
So instead of looking for another hero to brag at them about their achievements, they want a guide. They are looking for somebody who can connect with them. Somebody who understands them and can guide them on how to move forward.
That’s you.
And it’s through your product and services that you get to help them. Position yourself as the mentor and you will connect with them, build trust, and get them to want your product.
3. Focus your story on one core idea at the time
As an expert, you see so much potential in your solution. So many places where it can be implemented, problems it can solve, and people that can be helped.
And you want people to know this so that they also see how valuable the solution is. Without realizing it, you are now building on step 2.
But now, things start to get confusing. As you try to appeal to everybody, your message starts to water down. You start communicating too many things, and people don’t know anymore how to proceed.
You are solving too many problems for too many people. By doing this, what happens is that nobody feels your solution will help them. You want to narrow down your target and speak directly to them. Otherwise, your message will push them away.
Closing Thought On Your Product Message
I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about the product. Of course, we should, just not at the beginning.
Once the person is interested, they will ask you about how the product works by themselves. At that moment, you know you’ve achieved a milestone in the sales process.
But you have to resist the urge to tell them about it.
I know it because I went through this with our production company.
Talking about product features that not only make it easy for customers to compare you with others (since everybody talks about the product), but then not positioning our product as the solution that can help them get what they desire.
Once I started resisting and focused on the vision and problem, I began to close more sales.
Before that, I was just one person.