I’ve had several conversations recently that have run along similar lines. I’ll be chatting to a business owner and finding out more about what they do.
As is the way of such things, the conversation will eventually turn to me and what I do.
I say that I specialise in helping people to use words more effectively so they can improve their marketing and grow their business.
I then go into a bit more depth and say that in most cases my work involves listening to business owners, finding out what they do and asking what they want to achieve. My role is then to help them work out which bits of what they tell me – if anything – would be interesting to their customers and encourage them to buy.
My point is that no one really cares what you do. What they really care about is what you can do for them. It’s a bit of a cliché but no less true for that.
Every time I say this – or something like this – I get a flash of recognition. The people I’m talking to know they’re good at what they do and they’ve got successful businesses to prove it. But they also know that far too often this is in spite of their marketing materials not because of them. And they wonder what more they could achieve if they had marketing materials that showed potential clients exactly what they can do for them rather than hoping they’ll work it out for themselves.
It’s a common dilemma for business owners. You’re so busy doing what you do you forget how good you are and the value you give your clients. It means you forget to put it across in your marketing too. Then there’s the age-old British sense of reserve that makes it feel awkward writing about how great you are.
The best copywriting will show your skills off in a way that makes you feel comfortable because it’s true to you. At the same time it doesn’t leave your potential customers in any doubt about what you could do for them.
If any of this strikes a chord with you, get in touch and let’s have a conversation.
