K Cobb Marketing

Who Are You?

When I have an initial meeting with a client, one of my first questions is, “As a business, who are you?” You might be surprised how often people struggle to answer that question. Even businesses that have been around for a while are sometimes unsure how to quickly and clearly describe what their business does. And if a business doesn’t have a well-defined, concise message about what services or products they offer, you can pretty much bet that their potential customers are confused too.

You’ve probably heard about the marketing “elevator speech” and the idea of being able to describe your business in the time it takes to ride a few floors in an elevator. But I think even that gives you too much time to yak about what you do. One (short) sentence should be all it takes to describe who you are.

And it’s not just for your customers that you want to have this handy missive.  Knowing your message also allows you to focus in on your marketing efforts, and reel yourself or your staff or your ad agency back in when you start to stray too far from the point.

There are a few ways to approach developing your statement, depending on what kind of business or service you provide. You can ask one or all of these questions to help you hone in on just what you really do:

·         What is the “one thing” that defines your business?
Sometimes starting with a few adjectives can help. (For example, Volvo = Safety; Fed Ex = On time; Disney = Magic)

·         What does your business accomplish for your customers

·         What need do you fill for your customers?

·         How would you describe your business in its ideal state?

For my business, my message is this: “I help my clients market effectively and successfully.” That’s what I do, and it’s pretty straightforward.

From a client’s perspective, the statement explains what I do and makes a promise at the same time. From my perspective, it reminds me to work with people I know I can help (people open to new ideas, people who understand the need to follow through, people who aren’t afraid to open themselves to success, etc.). It also informs every decision and recommendation I make to my clients—is what I’m about to suggest or do going to help my client market successfully?

Try coming up with your own business message. You might have to play around with it for a while until it fits for you and feels right, but once you hit on it you’ll know. Then let it help guide you to better serve your customers, make informed and focused business decisions, and move you towards more clarity and ultimately, more business.

By Kerry Cobb

K. Cobb Marketing  kcobb@kcobbmarketing.com