Ever wonder why technology marketing tends to stream together buzzwords and adjectives as positioning statements? We all know we do it, we kid about it, poke fun at the other guys doing it — and then turn right around and do the same thing.
Yes, we want to create ‘buzz’. But that is not the same as using buzzwords! The reality is, buzzwords make it harder to create a distinct power position for your business and your products.
When you sound just like everyone else – you’re creating noise – not buzz.
Here are four simple rules to stop the positioning noise:
- Use words that matter to your customers. Go out and talk to your customers. Listen closely to the words and phrases they use to describe the benefits that your product brings to them. Capture those words — the simpler the better. Forget about the complicated buzzwords and terminology that technology vendors throw around. Those words will come and go along with the next cycle of computing architecture. Use your customers words and thinking if you want to stop the noise and power your success.
- Keep It Simple: Yes, the KISS principle applies in marketing and sales just as it does in other aspects of your business. Simple statements don’t have to be fluff – they can be quite powerful. Simplicity brings clarity – and clear messages are the Holy Grail of positioning. Customers remember and act on simple statements. Simple is always better when it comes to powerful positioning.
- Apply Your Value: Great big claims can be made about darned near anything. Many companies make big nebulous claims assuming that their audience will recognize the inherent value and apply it to their own situation. Not so. That’s YOUR job. Real positioning power comes when you apply a clear and concise value claim to a real-world scenario that your audience ‘gets’. Asking your audience to extract the value from generic, buzzword-ridden claims is risky at best. Remember, everyone comes to the party with their own perception. Unless you manage that perception with your own clarity and specifically applied value, you’re asking for trouble. Customers care about what’s in it for them – not about your fancy tecnbabble. Use words that matter to them and demonstrate your value, simply and clearly.
- Let the Evidence Speak for You: I continue to be amazed at how many companies make gargantuan ‘chest thumping’ claims without the evidence to support them. “But we don’t have any numbers” goes the response. Who said evidence had to be quantitative? It’s super when it can be – but evidence is all around us in the form of our customers’ successes. So go out there and let that evidence speak for you – clearly and concisely. Show them compelling evidence from your customers. That’s what powers success – not your claims!
The bottom line is that to be powerful, positioning statements have to be clear, concise and applicable to your audience and their specific perceptions. Power positioning must also demonstrate your value in compelling customer situations that resemble your target buyers.
You can ditch the noise and find your power position. So let the competitors keep generating buzzwords – while you go generate revenue.
