Do you sometimes struggle to explain to people exactly what it is you do?  Maybe you offer a service that takes a little explaining. Or perhaps you get that awful tongue-tied feeling at a networking event when the room is hushed and all eyes are on you? Sometimes it’s not always obvious to people what the benefits of working with you are, or even who your target market is.  We’re crystal clear on the value we bring to the relationship– but often times our prospects are not.

To fix this problem, sometimes all that’s needed is a refinement of your marketing message.

Try these six easy ways to improve your marketing message and help networkers and prospects grasp your value more quickly.

1. No one cares about the labor pains or the process – just show them the baby!  What I mean by this is no one is interested in your methodology – they only care about the outcome.  Always keep in mind that as people are listening to you speak, they’re secretly thinking in the backs of their minds, “What’s in all this for me, and exactly how are you going to help me?”

2. Walk a mile in your prospect’s shoes and think about what the BIG problem is that’s making them lose sleep at night. What are their top 3 worries when they get out of bed in the morning? If they had a magic wand that would fix anything, what would it be?  What would they pay anything to get access to?

3. Make a list of the top 5 objections your prospects would likely have for NOT doing business with you.  You likely know this list off the top of your head without having to think very hard.  Now write down an answer to each of these objections, and work that into your marketing message.

4. Select a handful of great client testimonials and then sprinkle liberally in your marketing materials.  What someone else says about you is at least 5 times more compelling and persuasive as what you say about yourself. You can also casually drop these “examples” into conversations when talking with people to add more persuasive power.

5 .What would make YOU leap out of your chair and shout “YES!” Think how apprehensive you feel before you decide to invest your money in the services of a person who you’ve never worked with before.  We’ve all had bad experiences… but we’ve also had some amazing experiences too.  Think about a message you can deliver that would relieve any nervousness and get them feeling excited and confident in working with you?

6. Make your marketing materials stand out and grab readers by the eyeballs by using snappy headlines that demand to be read.  Think of your headline as the ad for your ad.  Use phrases that arouse curiosity or speak directly to the reader like “Discover how to…” or “Never before revealed secrets of….” Your headline has to immediately answer that same old question we talked about above - “What’s in it for me?”

As you begin to talk with colleagues and prospects, watch how they react to what you say. Do they ask similar questions?  Are they still confused about anything?  Get feedback from people you trust about what your marketing messages (ideally someone who is in your target market and not your beloved Mom, spouse or great Aunty Sue). Then apply what you learn as you create a new elevator speech, new marketing materials and new service offerings.  Remember, as your business grows, you’re going to keep refining your marketing message – this is perfectly normal and to be expected as you keep getting better and better at what you do!