What's in it for me?
As I have mentioned before, I am a fan of 1980s pop culture. One of my favorite teen angst movies from the 80s is The Breakfast Club. However, I don’t want to talk about any of the main characters or pivotal scenes.
No, I want to talk about a few lines muttered by Carl, the janitor.
In one scene, Carl catches Richard Vernon (the school administrator) snooping through the personal files of the other teachers. Vernon wants Carl to not mention it to anyone and Carl asks,
“What’s in it for me, man?”
Turns out, he’ll keep quiet for “50 bucks.”
Carl is your client
Sure your potential clients may not want $50.00 (or they might), but they do want to know “What’s in it for me?”
Tell them!
Who cares how wonderful you are?
You may be the best in the business, but if all you tell prospective clients is how wonderful you are – and NOT how your wonderfulness will help them, they will not care.
Don’t just write a list of all of your business’s attributes. Transform those features into customer benefits. You may be surprised by the increase in your conversion rates.
Wondering if you talk too much about yourself? Look at your copy. How often do you use your company’s name or the word “we” compared to the number of times you use the word “you”?
If you talk about yourself more, you may be hurting your business. Turn the focus around and tell your customers what you can give them – make sure it’s something that they want … even if it is $50.
B2B copywriting isn’t always directed towards “stuff suits.” Sometimes you write for Richard Vernons, sometimes it is for Carls. Master the art of B2B SEO copywriting with the B2B SEO Copywriting Certification training. There’s a special price – so sign up now!
Photo credit: DarkSarcasm on FanPop
Excellent article, Amy. When we focus on ourselves instead of the customer, we all lose.
Thanks for the reminder!
Steve
Thanks Steve. Too often companies wonder why potential clients don’t care about the features. Tell them the benefits!