What would your customers say?

Most people understand that good marketing messages talk about benefits. They get to the heart of what our product or service does for customers.

Even so, we still sometimes stray into talking about things that we care about, rather than what our customers care about. Perhaps we talk about an accreditation that we have earned, or a training programme our staff attended, or how many years we have been in business.

Of course these things matter, but ask yourself whether customers truly care as much as you do. Do you know what training courses the staff at your favourite restaurant have been on? Or what qualifications the mechanics at your favourite garage hold?

So here's a tip to help you get to the real benefits. All you do is write down sentences that customers might say about their needs.

1. Start by writing:
'I want a (insert your profession here) who . . .'

So if you are a plumber write:
'I want a plumber who . . . '

2. Then write as many endings to that sentence as possible.

For the plumber it would be things like:

' . . . doesn't make an exorbitant call-out charge.'

' . . . gives me a quote for every job and sticks to it.'

' . . . turns up on time.'

' . . . can respond quickly in an emergency.'

3. Then write your marketing messages along the same lines.

So you'll be talking in your customers' language, about the things that matter to them.

Carry out this simple exercise and apply the results to your leaflets, direct mail campaigns, brochures, sales letters, web site and spoken presentations.

© Peterborough Copywriting Bureau 2005

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