Your business is probably built on top of a core philosophy. My pal Pranav calls this your “Big Idea”.
It’s the unifying belief that ties all your work together.
For example, one of my “big ideas” might be: Marketing rarely fails, it usually just stops.
We’ve built a business, and a series of systems and frameworks, that help entrepreneurs, marketers, and communicators keep their marketing going so it has the opportunity to work and improve.
But if I wanted that idea (“marketing doesn’t fail, it stops”) to be more core to my marketing, how would I actually go about that? How does that belief translate into messages?
How could your big ideas or beliefs turn into messages?
Well, first, it must go through the translation layer that is the Marketing Rangefinder.
Because you can never know what to say before you know where they are.
The individual to whom you’re speaking exists at a distance in time and space from you and your business.
And that distance matters. Because it defines the style of message you’ll employ.
FAR
If someone is far away from our business, as in they have a need we can help with but they don’t know about us yet, our job is to be in the places they go when they need help, with information that makes it easy for them to get one step closer.
So, at this distance, when someone stumbles upon our business when Googling, checking directories, or asking friends for referrals, the message we might want them to see would be something like:
“If your marketing is struggling, I bet it’s because it keeps stopping. Our latest newsletter is all about keeping your marketing sustainable and steady so it has the chance to work and the time to improve.”
They immediately see we do the thing they need help with and we make it easy to get one step closer by reading the newsletter.
CLOSE
If someone knows our business exists, but isn’t ready to buy yet, our job is to help them become more comfortable making a purchase. We do that by revealing insights we’ve learned from our experience and the specific tradeoffs we’ve made to be the ideal business for them in particular.
At this distance, when someone is reading our newsletter or website, scrolling through our LinkedIn profiles, or perhaps attending a webinar, we might say something like:
“If your corporate blog is 18 months old, or your LinkedIn hasn’t been updated in weeks, that’s a failure of process, not of people. You need a system that keeps your marketing going even when you don’t feel like it, or feel like you don’t have time for it. Our Marketing Rangefinder system...”
They are comforted by the fact that they’re not alone and that we’ve helped people with similar problems before, and we have a clear system that makes them comfortable starting the buying process.
HERE
If someone is in the buying process, or has just bought, they’re still in a marketing audience. They’re paying attention to the value they’re receiving, and we’re paying attention to how they experience it, so we can overdeliver where it matters most.
So, at this distance, when someone is reviewing paperwork or ready to kickoff a project, we might say something like:
“Notice how you’re already making progress just by starting this process. By working with us, you’ll have the confidence that comes from your marketing constantly improving, evolving, and expanding. Instead of a series of fits and starts that never get you anywhere.”
We’re paying attention to the value they’re receiving immediately, and we’re reminding them of it so they keep noticing it, too.
CONNECTED
Finally, if someone has bought in the past, or is just connected to our business somehow (like a vendor partner, advisor, or mentor) we still want to make sure we’re translating our big idea for them, too. We want to demonstrate to them that we’ve helped our clients grow, and we want to shape what they say about us to others.
So, at this distance, we might provide those connected to our business with messages like:
“We’re so excited to see the progress CLIENT_NAME has made with their marketing. We helped them create a process for their marketing that they enjoy, can stick to, and can keep improving over time. Because marketing rarely fails, it usually just stops. We make sure it doesn’t, so the results don’t, either.”
Now, if someone sees this message, perhaps as a post on LinkedIn, and then refers us to someone else, they’re more likely to use the exact language we have, spreading our marketing messages even farther.
And, at the same time, our big idea.
MARKETING RANGEFINDER
See how that works? The big, core idea stays the same, but how we talk about it changes based on where our audience or prospect is, as it relates to our business.
If they’re Far, give them information that makes it easy to get closer.
If they’re Close, reveal insights that make them comfortable buying.
If they’re Here, overdeliver on how they experience your value.
If they’re Connected, shape what they share by reminding them of how they’ve grown.
If you have questions or would like to experience our hands-on Marketing Rangefinder workshop, just reply to this email or send us a message at labs@kelfordinc.com
Kelford Inc. shows you the way to always knowing what to say.