I have over 12 years’ experience working in dedicated marketing roles. Within that time I have had the healthy challenge of promoting historical artefacts in a museum, filling vast venue space in an event centre, making mobile storage appealing and helping people see that they are worthy and entitled to an education. No mean feat, I can tell you. Especially when it came to storage. The very prospect of storage was boring to most people, not interesting if you don’t need it and certainly not sexy!
So, it is with great pleasure that when writing this now, I reveal I am writing for DigiGround a digital marketing company, which helps businesses grow their companies by providing profitable solutions to their problems. Now this is a topic I can relate to! In fact, if you’re in business, this is a topic for you too.
One of the most surprising things I find when dealing with solopreneurs, large businesses or delivering workshops is that businesses often do not know why they are doing what they are doing. In the first consultation I will always ask “What does your business do?” Very often the response I get will be extremely functional. For example, “We sell courses” or “We sell houses”.
The first problem with this is it’s not very memorable. Yes, it tells me the main function, but it’s certainly not the heart of the business. It’s likely a hundred people are also offering the same exact thing and let’s face it, it barely incites interest as it’s completely unemotional. With that response, it’s surprising they even have the willpower to go to work every day.
Consider this. If you are a business owner you’ve gone to the trouble to set up a company. You’re probably out spruiking it everyday. You’re very likely working crazy hours and you are regularly telling people what you do. Are you selling the product/service, or are you selling the story?
Take this scenario for example.
I asked a business owner what he does and this is how the conversation went.
Me – What is it that you do?
Business Owner – I sell chemicals.
Me – Wow, must be hard to get out of bed in the morning.
Business Owner – Why?
Me – Sounds a bit boring. Surely that’s not all you do. What is your product?
Business Owner – We manufacture a range of infection control materials for the hospital industry.
Me – Right. That’s specific. What is it that you do differently?
Business owner – It’s manufactured in Australia, which means the nurses who use the product can speak to me directly if they have any questions and most importantly it’s far less harmful.
Me – That sounds important.
Business Owner – It is. Because some chemicals are dangerous, we make sure to educate the nurses on the products they are using, for their own safety.
Me – So you provide a product and a service?
Business Owner – I guess we do.
Me – So tell me, what do you do again?
Business Owner – I provide a complete infection control range made in Australia, that is safer and less harmful for nurses.
Me – Phew, that’s better. No more questions your honour!
So, if you think your reply to the everyday question could do with some zest and you’re struggling to work out what is the ‘essence’ of what you do, you can find out in 3 easy steps. Taking the above scenario into consideration, follow these steps and ask yourself…
What problem you are solving for your customer? i.e providing financial freedom, creating a safer work environment etc…
How you differ from your competitors?
Why it is important?
Next time, when someone asks you “What do you do?” peel back the layers and think about this line of questioning. Consider that you may have only a few seconds to grab their attention and after going through the above 3 significant questions, you’ll be able to determine your point of difference and the importance of what you do, to engage a potential customer. But maybe even better than that, you’ll find the real reason to get out of bed every morning.
