As I walk through yet a new round of key messages with clients, one universal truth keeps popping up. Words like "organic" "natural" "authentic" "truth" emerge in my approach to communications and public relations as much as any other marketing-type-language.
This is because through the use of 'consumer-goggles' and brand exploration, I help clients tap into what is truly unique and marketable about them. I call them 'YOU-isms' and they are specific to your voice, your brand, your approach, your customers.
I find that when first speaking with a company, people often have the most trouble verbalizing what is truly DIFFERENT about them versus their competitors. You would think this would be important - so why is it so difficult?
If you have been living and doing what you love for long enough - then you most certainly have an opinion about it. That opinion is 100% unique to you, based on your experience, work practices, life challenges, past clients, belief systems, etc...
... if you really think about it, the question almost becomes what ISN'T different about you than your competitors?
Our approach, when we look at what you do through the eyes of your consumer, can help drill down to your own unique language, concepts and YOUisms. All of a sudden, you aren't using the language of your competitors, the language becomes your own.
YOUisms. There are some that believe that every single thought saying that we adopt into our own vernacular originated from somewhere (that there is no original thought). I say that when it comes to the application of this language and context, the possibilities are endless.
Next time you catch yourself expressing a YOUism or something you say a lot - write it down and own it!
How do we get from here to YOU? Well, technically that's a communications job. First off, I am not the expert in what you do, YOU are - but what I can do is to help you delve into your clients point of view in order to discover and shape the language that will most resonate with their needs, hurt, desires, etc...
When boiled down, these YOUisms, (or key messages) - can be like a calling card, kept in your pocket and taken out often to dazzle and impress at your next introduction, elevator pitch or handshake with a potential client.
Drivel-free. My concern is not to produce marketing drivel - it is to know more about the perception, beliefs and impression that you leave on people and what, if anything we need to do to change or enhance that perception.
YOUisms can exactly address this problem. By diving deep into your service/product and getting to the needs of the consumer - we can create the YOUisms that you need in your pocket that will make it feel like you are speaking to exactly the right customer.
Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash