It’s great when B2B marketing leaders and teams possess deep knowledge of their products or services, but this depth can also produce messaging clutter if care isn’t taken. Say the product or service is honey; those producing it will know every single ingredient while prospective customers might not even know what flavor of honey they like, or why a different brand than the one they’ve always used is worth a try.
This is why your honey jar is so important—it needs to tell such a compelling story that customers are drawn to pick out your company’s “honey” (aka product or service) from all available options.
Excessive detail or information that isn’t directly meaningful to the would-be purchaser should be stripped away so that your value proposition and unique selling points are crystal clear.
So, how can you develop clear, convincing and compelling messaging that avoids the honey jar trap? It starts with getting the right perspectives. At the center of the honey jar trap is bias. To keep bias from polluting your messaging, you need to understand how your product or service is seen from every angle.
- INTERNAL VIEWPOINTS - Customer-facing employees (e.g. sales, support, consulting, etc.) can share first-hand experiences of what’s resonating with the customers and prospects they speak with. It’s also insightful to ask internal stakeholders for their view of the future for your brand and its offerings. The outcomes of these conversations serve as a great primer for your all-important conversations with customers.
- EXTERNAL VIEWPOINTS - The messaging that matters most is that which speaks to what your customers care about. Use direct conversations, surveys, customer forums, a B2B copywriter and other feedback loops to validate, expand or dispel the notions of your internal viewpoints. Get granular on customers’ pain points, goals and what they’re looking for in products/services like yours (e.g. criteria, features, functions, benefits).
- COMPETITOR VIEWPOINTS - To properly frame your unique selling points and reduce the chances for confusion, it’s important to understand how competitors are framing their own would-be solutions. Avoid overlap when possible and look for areas where you can make a solid case for having the preferred option.
Carefully collecting and compiling these respective viewpoints will give you the foundation to assess your current messaging or to develop original messaging for your brand, product or service.