Straying From Value-based Messaging: Three Examples

I've worked with several startups over my career. These companies are usually run by brilliant people with the ability to deliver innovative, valuable products. But as a product marketer, I've seen some of them struggle with understanding how the market ascribes value to their products, a disconnect that can have a severe impact on the success of their go-to-market strategies.

Right now in particular, ascribing value early and often is key to gaining market share. But companies can run into trouble when their messaging is rooted in something other than easily identifiable customer value. It's easy to conflate the value of a product to buyers with how it works, how cool it is, or even the product category in which it belongs. But doing so is risky, because straying from value-based messaging can significantly reduce the effectiveness of your marketing and sales efforts. Here are three examples of how companies sometime run into trouble with their messaging:

Example #1: Focusing on process

I came across website today from a sales enablement company that touted its "end-to-end" solution. Aside from my personal gripe about the use of "end-to-end" as a lazy marketing term, this messaging bugs me because it's process-focused. Even if their buyers can figure out the definition of each "end," they're still left on their own to determine if the solution itself could possibly be valuable to them.

Think of it this way: If you were a neophyte runner and someone told you the value of running a marathon was that you'd cover 26.2 miles on your feet, would you want to lace up and go? How about if the same person mentioned the great sense of accomplishment and amazing physical condition you'd be in? Maybe you still wouldn't do it, but you'd think a lot more about the value of the endeavor. It's the same with buyers: you can't simply expect them to figure it out on their own, so your top-of-funnel messaging must help them visualize the value of the journey.

Example #2: Confusing technology with value

I've seen a lot of companies rely on their cool technological underpinnings to convey value. For example, companies often use "AI-driven" or "machine learning" in their top-of-funnel messaging--ostensibly, I assume, to increase the coolness factor and let buyers know they're getting something shiny and new. I gather that vendors think that whatever follows "AI-driven"--probably what the product does--will seem more valuable. Sure, having AI can be good (depending upon the AI and its use, of course), but it's also table stakes in many instances. And buyers don't automatically understand whether or not AI is valuable to them. The value of AI isn't just that it exists, but also that it helps your customers do something better. For example, why will being "AI-driven" help a CRO increase the number of sales reps who make quota? Unless you connect the dots between AI and the business result it enables, the coolness factor is unlikely to move the needle.

Example #3: Overusing jargon

Many technology vendors use industry jargon in their high-level messaging, assuming, I suppose, that buyers know what it means. But unfamiliar jargon can not only blur the value proposition, but also confuse buyers as to what your company does in the first place. For example, I've spent over a decade in the sales enablement space, where vendors use the aforementioned term and its corollaries liberally in their messaging. While sales enablement is certainly a "thing" at this point, people still argue about what it means. Further, there are a panoply of related or sub-spaces like sales readiness, sales effectiveness, sales engagement, sales performance, and so on.

If I was a CRO with a bunch of reps who can't deliver the company message effectively, which of the following pitches would make me want to find out more?

1. "Chose Acme, the sales enablement leader!"

2. "Ensure your reps and content are on-target every time with Acme!"

Being a leader is a good thing (per pitch #1), but only if I know what the thing is and why it matters to me. The second pitch, in contrast, maps the value of the solution to a problem many CROs face. When your buyers are just beginning to explore the market, you want to make it easy to figure out if you're right for them, and conversely if they're right for you.

I'll end by sharing my experience at one company. Shortly after I started there, one of the founders wanted to meet with me right away because he knew that I could still look at the company with an outsider's eye. He understood that the more invested I became in the company, the harder it would be for me to look at its messaging like a buyer. It may sound simplistic, but it's always valuable to encourage the key stakeholders in your company to take a step back and focus on the buyer experience. Doing an occasional customer-focused smell-test is a great way to make sure your top-of-funnel message continues to convey value and drive leads.

Alex Salop is an experienced product marketer, and a principle at Complete Product Marketing, a consulting firm. You can find out more about the company's services at completeproductmarketing.com, or reach out to him via LinkedIn.