Communicating Value Propositions to Non-Experts

Let me break down how I would ditch the technical jargon and create a B2B message that means something to your audience: Many companies fall into the trap of self-centered communication that talks about features and functionalities in their brand messaging. But this just leaves your customers feeling unheard. Your audience has little interest in a love letter to your product. They want solutions to their problems and a brand that understands their unique challenges. Here’s how you can do this: > Make It About Them Stop talking about your "thousand different SKUs" or your " technology."  These details might be important to you, but they're not what keeps your customers up at night. Instead, focus on the problems your customers face.  Are they worried about returns from unhappy homeowners? Is tight project turnaround a constant source of stress?  Identify their pain points and position yourself as the solution. For example, Sherwin-Williams understands that B2B customers aren't just buying paint. They’re buying solutions. Contractors, architects, and designers face a mountain of challenges, and Sherwin-Williams doesn't focus on the technical strength of their products.  They dive deep into the anxieties of their customer. Imagine a contractor facing a tight deadline. Sure, Sherwin-Williams' paints have superior durability and finish, but their message here highlights how their quick-drying formula makes for timely project completion. > Speak Their Language Technical jargon is great if you’re trying to impress your engineers, but it alienates your customers. I’d avoid industry-specific terms and acronyms and replace them with clear, concise language your target audience understands. I like to do this for our clients by imagining we’re having a conversation with a potential customer over coffee.  What words would I use to explain our value proposition? Then, I’ll mimic that same natural and conversational tone in the messaging. > Building Trust B2B marketing doesn't have to be sterile or impersonal. People do business with people they trust, so your messaging should have a human touch. You want to show your audience that you understand their challenges and frustrations. Once you’ve taken the initiative to accept their emotions, you can position your brand as a partner, not just another vendor trying to sell something. What is the key to crafting messaging that resonates? Speak the customer’s language, not yours. Focus on the problems that keep them up at night, and position yourself as the trusted partner with the answers. Think of it as a conversation over coffee – ditch the jargon, show empathy for their challenges, and demonstrate how your offer helps them.  By prioritizing value over vanity, clear communication over industry speak, and trust-building through informative content, you'll create a B2B message that cuts through the noise and is heard by the people who matter most – your customers. #b2bmarketing

Explaining your "value proposition" is probably doing more harm than good with your prospects.  Value propositions are meaningless to prospects when they don't connect the dots between what your product does and what problems it eliminates. Here's an example: If I were selling cookware, pitching "titanium-plated non-stick pans" would not resonate with my prospects, especially if they liked their current cookware. In order for "titanium-plated non-stick pans" to mean anything of value to my prospect, I would need to remind them of the gnarly egg crust that they had scrub away when doing the dishes last week and then explain that the "features" of my product are what would eliminate their egg-scrubbing problem. ___ Expecting your prospect to infer what problems your "value proposition" solves for them dumps all the work on your prospect. Do the work for them and put 2 and 2 together so they don't have to. You make it far easier for them to understand why your "Automated Billing Workflows" or "Unified Data Platform" or "Titanium-Plated Pan" is valuable when you ALSO tell them what that means for them. It's YOUR responsibility to remind your prospect of the egg stuck to their pan. 

4 minutes, 27 seconds in, I still had no idea what their product did. I was speaking to the CEO of a $3.18M company the other day who was exploring engaging with RR. I asked one of my favorite simple questions that those who know me know I have on a post it on my monitor: “What problem does your product solve for your customers?” Off to the races we went. A whirlwind of jargon, buzzwords, and a feature list so long I could have made my third latte of the morning and come back still confused. I stopped her and asked again. “Okay, in 30 seconds or less, what problem do you solve?” They stared at me. Silence. Awkward for them… not for me, and that’s okay. If you can’t explain your product in 30 seconds or less, you have a problem. - Your prospects don’t have time to sit through a TED Talk. - Investors aren’t waiting around for a thesis. - Customers aren’t trying to decode your pitch. Your value prop needs be crystal clear, instantly. It’s so important, that post it has been on my desk for years.  Here’s how to get there: - Focus on the problem. What pain do you solve? If you can’t answer that, start over. - Speak in outcomes. Customers don’t care about your AI, integrations, or “powerful capabilities.” They care about what it does for them. - Test it on a 12-year-old. If they don’t understand it, neither will your prospects. - Make it conversational. If you wouldn’t say it over coffee, don’t say it in a pitch. Some of the best companies in the world can explain what they do in a single sentence. If you can’t, you’re making everything… sales, marketing, fundraising harder than it needs to be. Clarity wins. Complexity kills. https://lnkd.in/gtz6dBbB