ProductCamp Boston, April 2011 ***** You crafted positioning and messaging for the new solution the right way - consulting sales, investigating competitors. Everyone said the new materials were fantastic. Now, 2 months later, sales is complaining that you missed the mark. This session will describe where marketers can get into trouble and how to avoid trouble.***** Kathryn Roy helps B2B technology and service companies boost the effectiveness of their sales and marketing organizations

1. Getting Messaging Right
Crafting and Delivering Prospect Messaging More Effectively

2. Getting Messaging Right Workbook
A. OBJECTIVES
Most of us can drive cars, but few of us would escape with life and limbs intact if
we were invited to drive in the next Indy 500. The consequences of a mistake in
an Indy race deter many of us – unless we could sign up for some intensive
training in advance.
Most of us feel comfortable with our communication skills. But communicating to
customers and prospects is to everyday communication like driving in the Indy
500 is to commuting.
A big difference is that mistakes in customer communications don’t leave people
bloodied (or worse). In fact, it is often challenging to determine if something we
produce is effective or not. As a result, many companies unwittingly make
mistakes that could easily be avoided.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide you with Indy 500-level intensive
training, but for customer messaging. We will share insights and frameworks for
getting messaging right.
After this webinar you should:
• Comprehend why marketers unwittingly produce ineffective messaging
and how to avoid those traps
• Understand the terminology soup of positioning, value propositions,
sales-ready messaging, etc.
• Have tips for how to start improving your messaging immediately
This presentation features Kathryn Roy, managing partner at Precision Thinking,
a consulting firm that helps B2B technology companies boost their sales &
marketing effectiveness.
Kathryn has over 20 years of experience helping some of the most successful and
fastest growing B2B companies including IBM, Avid, CA, Constant Contact, Lotus,
AT&T, Kronos, Novell, Giga, Phase Forward and dozens of other technology
companies.
Kathryn has published in HBS Working Knowledge, Marketing Profs, Guidestar,
and Mass High Technology.
B. AGENDA
• Why do so many go astray?
• What is “good messaging”?
i. Terminology
ii. When to use which message
• How do you get messaging right?
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3. Getting Messaging Right Workbook
C. TRAPS GREAT MARKETERS CAN FALL INTO
• So busy / overloaded don’t set aside time for proper preparation and testing
• “Our baby is beautiful” syndrome
• Cognitive (Lake Wobegone) bias – 90% of surveyed individuals think they are
better than average drivers – who is average at messaging?
• Confirmation bias – paying more attention to data supporting your position
than countering it
• The “Curse of Knowledge” –Google and get excerpt at Made to Stick website –
we assume prospects have the same context / lingo in their heads as we do
• We copy other companies (especially big ones) thinking they must know what
they are doing
• HiPPOs – Highest Paid Person’s Opinion – use testing to overcome
D. WHAT IS “GOOD MESSAGING”?
• “Bump-into” messaging is for when a prospect walks past your booth
or visits your website having heard something vague about your
company.
• “Rope-em in” messaging is for when prospects aren’t visiting your
website or booth but you have to grab their attention.
“Bump-into” messaging answers these questions
Who Are you doing something for companies like us?
What Could what you do solve the problem we have?
Why How is this better than other options?
Positioning a la Geoffrey Moore
For (target customer)
Who
Who (statement of the need or opportunity)
The (product name) is a (product category)
What
That (key benefit aka compelling reason-to-buy)
Unlike (primary competitive alternative)
Why
Our product (primary differentiation)
See Crossing the Chasm or other books by the Chasm Group for additional
information on positioning.
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4. Getting Messaging Right Workbook
“Rope-em in” messaging
Stage Main Message to Who What Why
Unengaged Prospect
Latent need What status quo is costing you   
Pain We’re a great place to go to sort out what you need   
Vision Why we’re worth including in your evaluation   
Active search What you might lose by not talking to us   
Terminology Soup
Term Who What Why
Value proposition
x
Compelling reason-to-buy
Differentiation x
Positioning x x x
Sales-ready messaging x x
E. HOW DO YOU GET MESSAGING RIGHT?
• Learn / share messaging terminology
• Write your positioning statement & TEST
• Write a new “Home” and “About Us” page – using just headlines and bullets &
TEST
• Expand, then edit, & TEST
• Don’t
• Lead with new category names
• Use product names early
• Claim leadership without proof
• Go nuts with SEO
• Put key messages in video
• Don’t Use
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5. Getting Messaging Right Workbook
• Jargon / buzzwords
• Analyst-speak
• Investor-speak
• tag lines (3 – 6 words bad; 7 word descriptors more helpful)
• Do
• Limit what you say
i. Say who you solve problems for
ii. State what you do that helps solve the problem
iii. Explain why you are better
• Be concise but clear
i. Use headings and bullets
• Watch out for biases
• Use testing to counter HiPPOs
Learning More About Messaging and Positioning
If you are interested in messaging and positioning, there are additional articles and
an eBook on www.Precisionthinking.com under articles. I don’t tweet a lot, but will
tweet when I publish a new article or blog post. Twitter: karoy1
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