A Simple Framework Stop Confusing Your Potential Customers

Following is a simple framework to stop confusing your potential customers. People (and organizations) struggle to clarify their message. They spend countless hours honing and refining all kinds of verbiage only to end up frustrated. This is no fun. There might be a better way. 

Actually, the good news is that you already know the better way. It’s a simple three-part framework that’s been around forever. It’s everywhere. You’ve seen it on TV commercials.

Ready for a mop commercial?

1. Your kitchen floor is dirty. This is a total drag.
2. Good news. The Top Mop 5000 cleans kitchen floors lickety-split.
3. Get the Top Mop 5000 today. 

Simple, right? You’ve seen it in public service announcements (PSA), too. What was the essential PSA for the Corona Virus? It was: 

1. Virus Bad. 
2. Vaccine Good. 
3. Get Vaccine. 

So why is it so hard to clarify your message?

It’s hard because many try to tackle it without this time-tested three-part framework. Perhaps you try to get creative. Maybe you’re going for cool, hip, or quirky. Many make it about them and not their customer. The problem is that when you do these things, you confuse your customer.

Here’s a simple way to avoid this. Simple – not easy. It does get easier with a little practice. I’ve taken the PSA acronym and created a framework you can use right away. I’ll show you the framework, then I’ll show you an example. I changed public service announcement to mean Problem, Solution, Action (P.S.A.). 

THREE-PART FRAMEWORK:

PROBLEM: Your customer needs to know the problem you solve. In other words, don’t tell them what you do. Tell them what happens when they work with you. Unless you’re an astronaut. If you’re an astronaut, you can totally get away with, “I’m an astronaut.”

SOLUTION: They need to know the solution. What’s unique and different about your solution. How does it address the problem?

ACTION: Your customer needs to know what they should do about it. Should they book time with you, schedule a demo, take a free trial. Make this really clear.

As a sales geek and Internet marketing nerd for a couple decades, I’ve lived and breathed this framework so I may be biased. But I’m not alone. For a great book on this type of thinking, check out Donald Miller’s, The Making of a StoryBrand. Or check out, Jyoti Guptara’s book, Business Storytelling.

In the meantime, what’s your PSA?

Next time someone asks, “Hey, what do you do?” Don’t say, for example, “I’m a leadership coach.” This is too vague. It’s too boring. Instead, consider something like: 

“I help organizations build leaders that others want to follow.” 

Now that’s a problem worth solving. 

Anyone interested in leadership coaching is going to want to hear your solution.

Hope this helps.

To your success!