You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying, “A confused mind never buys.”
One reason people are confused is simply that they face too many choices. It’s one reason I prefer to shop online. Why stand in front of a store display offering dozens of products when I can narrow down my choices with just a few clicks on my computer, in the quiet of my own home?
Clearly I’m not alone. Columbia business professor Sheena Iyengar conducted a study in a grocery store. At different times, they set up tables with 6 vs 24 kinds of jam. The percentage of buyers was 3% of the larger assortment and 30% for the smaller choice.
As a business owner you can confuse customers if you offer even ONE choice, simply because they don’t understand what you offer.
Sometimes they don’t understand what you’re calling yourself. When I get a client who insists on being known as a “happiness coach,” a “business choice coach,” or a “relationship development coach,” I get worried. (Those titles are imaginary – no finger-pointing!)
Yet even if you use a conventional title, you probably have a unique way to deliver services. Clients associate your service with the practices of 5, 10, or 20 years ago. You’ve changed. They’ve changed. The world has changed.
Even more, we sometimes see sales copy that gives no clue about what’s offered.
I just came across a website with a home page promising to “maximize the potential” of online information products. I have no idea what that means.
Will this company help me sell more courses and ebooks? Will they change the way I create products? Will they offer me a new platform to promote my existing products, along with what I’m already doing?
Even a slogan like, “Earn more revenue from your online courses” can be confusing. I can earn more revenue by the way I design and market my courses…or by creating more courses. I can earn more revenue by putting courses on different platforms or working with affiliates.
Forget “We empower you.” To do what?
When I review websites, two questions are the most common.
What do you actually offer?
Why are you different from others who claim to be meeting the same need?
One of the best ways to address these questions is by telling stories – but not just any story. Tell stories that clarify what you to do prospective clients – and also to vendors, such as copywriters and designers. All too often when the copy isn’t working, it’s because the copywriter was writing through a fog of confusion.
The best stories? Episode #109 of the Strategic Storytelling podcast gives you a detailed explanation, with examples.