Explain this to a 3 year old.

I've learned many lessons working in sales & marketing roles over the past 13 years, but today's knowledge comes from trying to communicate with a 3-year-old. I've always known that clear and concise marketing messages are a must for an organization, but sadly as much as we "know" this, we neglect to put it into practice. This truth didn't hit me until I started trying to explain complexities in a simple enough message for a 3-year-old to understand. I found myself either "oversimplifying" providing no lesson to be learned, or struggling to give her a proper reason.

Questions like:

Question: "Why did we move out of our house and into a new one?"

Wrong answer: It was getting old -- this took us down the path of her asking if it got old and broke -- and eventually asking "Dad, did the big bad wolf blow it down?"

or

Question: "Why was Hans so mean to Anna in Frozen?" 

Wrong answer: "He's a jerk" 

or

Question: "Why can't I tell grown-ups no?"

Answer: This one is complicated because technically she should tell them no if they ask her to do something she doesn't like. 

or

Question: "Why do dogs poop outside?' "Dad, can I poop outside?"

Yeah, things are getting deep around here... 

But, recently she started understanding the concept of work, and she asked me what I "work at". 

Every word that started to come out of my mouth would make absolutely 0 sense to her.. so how do I explain sales, marketing, website design, and copywriting to a 3-year-old. 

Instead of "I help brands develop their identity" it's "I help people look good and that makes them feel better" 

Instead of "I help people write strong persuasive copy that increases conversions" it's "I help people write good words and it makes them a lot of friends"

Instead of "I help build sales funnels and systems that increase leads and close more deals" it's "I teach people to be really good at sharing and be really good listeners"

"If it takes too much time for your audience to figure out what you do, or how you can solve their problem, you're going to lose"

Now, I'm not saying I wrote revolutionary sales copy with my 3-year-old, but it did stretch me to think simply and in a way that she would still grasp (in her way) what I did for "work". 

Sure, there is a time for technical writing or language, but when someone is visiting your website for the first time or reading that cold email you sent, you've got about 10 seconds (most likely less) to grab their attention.

Everyone in this world is facing multiple problems and we all need a solution - that's why you created your business, right? 

"You a freelancer that left that big marketing agency because you wanted to provide quality logo design at an affordable price, without the overhead."

"You have a taco shop because you believed you could provide a better atmosphere, with a better menu and better drinks than anyone else in town."

"Your non-profit is raising funds because your approach to (XYZ) is unique - you helped X% of people with X problem last year."

"Your service company has a better maintenance program than anyone else in town."

"Your attention to detail in your craft is hand down better, plus you guarantee your work."

So how do we convey this is a "3-year-old" way to help our audience understand quickly and clearly why they should work with us? I believe this one factor will help you speak more clearly about your business. 

Give a Value Statement

How will their life look after using your product/service?

We're good at saying what we do or who we help (if you haven't figured that out download our free workbook here), but if you want to up your communication - show how the result will look in the end. In my 3-year-old example it was "they will feel better" or "they will have more friends". 

Your value might be:

Construction: "You'll have the house everyone wants to visit this Holliday"

Interior Design: "You'll finally have that feeling of home"

Fitness: "You'll be confident in that dress again" 

Insurance: "You'll rest easy knowing your family is protected"

Strategy (Consultant): "You'll wake up every day knowing exactly what to work on"

Bookkeeping: "Imagine what you'll do with all the time you saved"

Why does this work?

Value helps us see "what could be". It helps us connect the dots in our brain from problems to where we want to see ourselves. 

Want to learn other strategies that pair well with this value statement? Download our "4 marketing messages to increase sales" free workbook to learn more. 

Talk soon,

Tyler 

ps. If you want to jump on a quick call to see how this could apply to your business, you can contact us here -- this is a no b.s free call to understand how we might be able to work together.