I was reminded the other day of a conversation that we had early in the lifecycle of our agency. We were meeting with a mentor over coffee, and he asked one of my partners and me two questions.
“First, tell me about your business.”
He was probing for our elevator pitch. He wanted a simple, clear, compelling answer from us, the kind of response that would spark his interest and trigger him to ask more. Instead, we took turns babbling, zigging, and zagging as we tried to explain who we were, what we did, and why he should care. Within seconds, we lost him, and had he been a prospect we would have spoiled our opportunity to work together.
After he pummeled us for our sloppy answer and asked us to quit throwing up all over him, his second question was equally challenging to us.
“All right, let’s try this again. Who is your perfect customer?”
We thought we had this one nailed. This time our answer would be short, sweet, and crystal clear. We could sum it up in one word.
“Everybody.”
After our first beating, we thought it couldn’t get any worse. We were wrong. Our new mentor quickly helped us come to the realization that as an agency, yes we COULD work with everybody, but that did not mean we SHOULD work with everybody. There was a distinct difference between the two.
For both questions, the right answer hinged on one thing. Clarity.
Our answer to the first question, “Tell me about your business,” needed to be grounded firmly in clarity. We needed to be equipped with a simple, clear response that would drive engagement and eliminate confusion. We needed an answer that quickly stated who we were, what we did, and why he should care.
Our answer to the second question required clarity as well. “Who is your perfect customer?” We needed to possess a clear understanding of our best-fit customer personas in order to attract and develop relationships with them effectively. Until we understood what our perfect customer looked like, was struggling with, aspired to and wanted, our efforts to reach them would be hindered.
This conversation with our mentor occurred very early in launching what we thought would be a traditional design agency focused on delivering beautiful, functional creative. We were young in our business, a bit naive, and frankly we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Like many business owners just starting out we were good at what we were good at, but explaining it was a challenge.
For us an agency, answering these two questions changed everything. What we learned through this conversation with our mentor sparked a laser-focus on “messaging first.” It began with our own message, challenging us to clarify who we really are and how we explain it. As we’ve grown, we’ve made “messaging first” the foundation of our firm, and we’ve worked hard to help our clients find their own clarity and develop simple, clear messages that engage their perfect customers.
The Takeaway
I’m here to challenge you with the same questions our mentor asked us… First, tell me about your business. Second, who is your perfect customer?
Re-examine your own brand messages and the understanding you have of your audience. Define them and refine them. Shape them and sharpen them. It’s time to bring clarity to your brand messages and change the trajectory of your business. Stuck? Reach out. At OrangeBall, we have the tools and expertise to help you find clarity around your customers and your brand messages, and then deliver those through all your marketing channels.
