What is my Business Message?

Your message is the most powerful thing you have.

Your message is what your business will use to communicate, think, create and dream.

Your message is your promise; what you clearly want to convey to every one of your customers, your staff and your suppliers.

Make sure your business has a clear message and makes sure everything you do repeats this message; do this properly and your business will run like clockwork and your business will grow as everyone will know exactly what you do and how you do it.

To create a business-generating message the first thing to start with is what would you want people to say your business does; in other words, what value are you selling, and why should anyone care?

So before you think about colors, design, what to write in your brochure or website, start with the following questionnaire.

Who is your target market?

Think of your best clients - list the qualities that make them ideal. This is your wish list, so no holding back. If it's important that they are pleasant to work with and have the means to pay you well - say so now! What is their specific title or profession? Can they be categorized easily? List every important quality you can come up with. Consider geography, gender, age, income level, values, interests, etc.

What problems do your potential buyers face?

List 5 distinct problems, issues, pains, predicaments, challenges, worries, fears - even if they seem unrelated to the services you offer. Write these succinctly and clearly.

How does your service solve these problems?

For each of the 5 problems/pains listed, spell out your solution - what results do you produce; what can your clients expect to get out of your work with them? Don't just list your services here. Instead, specify the end-result benefit they will receive.

What emotional gratification do your clients get from your services? Sounds corny, but no matter what your business is, if you are serving people, you need to be able to tap into the emotions that motivate them.

What are the unique advantages of your service over your competition? Let's talk about differentiation - what makes you stand apart from your competitors? What makes you memorable, special? This includes your distinct blend of past experience, your personal philosophies and ways of working with people, your approach, your values, and simply, just the way you are. One great place to start - what are some compliments you frequently hear from other people?

You have now created the essence of your message. Take some time to continue honing and refining. When you read through it, you should feel that it hits the mark and it paints a picture of your ideal business.

As you write letters, brochures, website content and other communications, draw from this message - speak to your market as if you know them personally; appeal to your market's pains and predicaments; show them how you solve these problems; highlight the emotional gratification they will feel when they use your services; show them clearly what makes you and your offerings unique.