Author: Chris Heiler
Purchase our entire collection of Green Ways comics on Amazon
Can you sympathize with Jake in this latest Green Ways comic? I sure can. I've faced the same blank stares you have when trying to explain what it is we do for our customers.
What Jake – and all of us – suffer from is a "curse of knowledge": We assume that other people know the same things we know. Therefore, this cognitive bias causes us to believe that people understand us a lot better than they actually do.
Our lack of clarity in our messaging is confusing prospects and customers, which ultimately leads to lost opportunities.
Have you heard this following statement from a customer?
"Oh, I didn't know you guys did that so I called XYZ Landscaping."
Yeah... I feel your pain.
Here are a few common instances where the curse of knowledge is haunting our businesses:
- At networking events, as illustrated in the above Green Ways comic
- When speaking on a topic, whether directly to an individual or an entire audience
- In our advertising and promotional materials
- On our websites
- In our content marketing (blog, videos, etc.) and social media messaging
Companies who overcome the curse of knowledge will maintain a considerable competitive advantage over their competitors who lack clarity in their messaging.
Our competitive advantage will look like this:
- A company website that actually generates new business for us.
- Team members all on the same page – aligned around our positioning – speaking clearly about what we do and for whom (and, what we do not do).
- Happy customers spreading the good word about our company in an accurate and compelling way.
So how do we do it?
For our clients at Landscape Leadership, we start with a proven 7-step framework developed by a company called StoryBrand. This framework is based on a communication formula that has been used in thousands of major motion pictures and adapted by some of the world's top brands.
If anyone knows how to connect with the human brain, it's Hollywood.
I'm personally a StoryBrand Certified Guide which allows me to take companies like you through the 7-step process. What you end up with is a proven filter for all future marketing and sales messaging.
You can work through the StoryBrand 7-step framework internally as a team, but you will most likely find yourselves on a treadmill fighting the curse of knowledge within. What you will need is the objectivity that only an industry-experienced, third-party like Landscape Leadership can bring.
Are you ready to get some fresh eyes on your business? Let us help you clarify your positioning and message so you can tell your story in such a way people will listen.
Schedule a meeting with us to learn more about how we can take you through the StoryBrand 7-step framework.
Remember, if your prospects and customers are confused about what you offer, they’ll look past you for somebody who can say it more clearly.
Purchase our entire collection of Green Ways comics on Amazon
