Which came first?
The chicken or the egg?
The question or the answer?
Orange the color or orange the fruit?
Messaging or copy?
“Wait a minute. Aren’t messaging and copy the same thing?”
Well…they’re related, yes, but copy and messaging are NOT the same.
- Messaging is determining WHAT you will talk about.
- Copy is determining HOW you will say it.
You have to be good at messaging before you can excel at copywriting.
As you follow The First Order of Business, you develop systems, policies, procedures, hiring practices, etc. that help you determine how you will delight your customers. Once you know where you want to go, how you’ll get there, and what you stand for, then you can begin developing your unique brand of messaging.
While crafting your message, answer these three questions:
- Is your message relevant? Remember Ivan Pavlov? Every day, ol’ Ivan would rub meat paste on his dog’s tongue and ring a bell. Eventually, he could simply make his dog salivate with the sound of that bell. Now, if Mr. Pavlov had kicked his dog square in the kibbles and bits every time he rang the bell, the response would have been dramatically different. Pavlov’s experiment succeeded because, well, dogs love the taste of meat. Otherwise, the incessant ringing of the bell would have done nothing more than irritate the poop out of the dog. What is the meat your customers crave? A message has relevance to the degree it speaks to that craving in the heart of your customer.
- Does your message have credibility? Simply stated, a message has credibility if it’s believable. Can you substantiate the claims in your messaging? Will you keep the promises you make to your customers? Can you identify and address the loopholes in your messaging before your prospect has a chance to become skeptical.
- Is your message authentic? Are you who you say you are? Is the message a true reflection of your goals and values? Customers are invited to your place of business to see the real you every day. This means you must deliver what you say you stand for.
Feeble messaging is weak because:
- It’s not connected to your company’s core values.
- It talks about stuff your customers don’t care about.
Figure out the WHAT before attempting the HOW.
Need help? We know some people…
Over the past week our management team has been talking a lot about training and mentoring within our company and I think that it relates so closely to this topic. At some level it is about coming back to the basics. WHY do we do what we do? What do we BELIEVE in?
As a company you must gain real buy-in from your employees before you can ever hope to gain the customer’s trust. Imagine what your organization could do with offices full of employees that showed up to work for more than just a paycheck. Employees that show up to make a difference. For something they believe in.
Figure out how to do that… and your ads will write themselves.
Simon Sinek – How Great Leaders Inspire Action (The Golden Circle) – Video Link: http://youtu.be/qp0HIF3SfI4