Invest in Your Clients’ “Children”
A while back, I was in a meeting with a client, a really cool start-up in a “hot” space. We were putting together a key messages document that will serve as the basis for all business communications in the foreseeable future. The way it normally works is that we (my team at FINN) have a discussion with the client — between 2–3 hours in length — and then we draft the messages. The client reviews them, gives us feedback, and we finalize them, integrating the feedback they’ve provided.
A simple, yet important, process.
We met, listened to them outline the top points they want to cover when they communicate, and then we came back to the office to craft the messages.
We sent them the draft and they responded by suggesting that we integrate some of the following words and phrases into the messages:
- Empower
- Unique
- Optimize
- Simplify
- Seamless
Now, there have been countless articles written about words and phrases to avoid from when marketing a product, like this one and this one. That’s not what I want to focus on here.
Rather, I submit that these words, if found in copy, should make your BC (boss/client) think twice about your understanding of what the company is trying to sell.
Let’s do a little experiment. Pretend you are a BC. You have a significant level of confidence in your product. You truly believe this product will make a difference in the world. And you want some help communicating what you feel in your heart and soul about the product. In fact, let’s say the product is your child, because to many BCs, the product IS like a child.
We all think our own children are amazing, beautiful and special. BCs (Boss/Client) feel that way about their companies/products. It behooves us as marketers to connect with how strongly they feel about their “children.”
A little related story here …
Early in my career, I had a client with whom I was discussing a big upcoming campaign. I believed my company would be able to support him effectively. I said, “If we don’t get the job done for you, fire us.”
“Fire you?” he responded. “Fire you? Well, it must be nice for you that you can just get fired and walk away. But this isn’t just a business to me. This is my baby. And if you drop my baby, I will never forgive you.”
I learned a valuable less that day. What he described about his organization was the way we would describe our relationships with our children.
And that’s no exaggeration. Clients care about their companies like they are children. And if that’s the case, we have to care as well. And what that means, in the language of us marketing folk, is that we have to communicate about them with the specificity and passion we use to describe our kids. In that context, let’s take a look at the words I listed above and ask the key question:
Would we use this word to describe our children?
- Empower: Would we talk about the importance of our children empowering others? No, we’d tell a story about how our daughter was a captain in an upcoming game of soccer with her friends, and noticed a relatively timid girl sitting off to the side. We’d then relate that our daughter called over to the shy girl and said, “Hey, everyone, Mary (the shy girl) is really good at soccer! I choose her as the first member of my team!” The clear message that comes through is empowerment, but the story paints a much more vivid picture.
- Unique: Of course, every child is unique. But when we meet up with a friend we haven’t seen in a long time, and we give the rundown on how our kids are growing up, would we describe our child as “unique”? Of course not. We’d say, “My 11-year old daughter has really come into her own, in terms of acting and singing. She transmits such emotion when she performs. It penetrates my soul.”
- Optimize: Well, this is hardly a phrase we’d use to describe our children — Billy doesn’t optimize his recess time or his homework completion. To a degree, that is proof enough that “optimize” doesn’t help us describe something in a compelling manner. But still, let’s ask the question: When you say that something “optimizes” or is “optimized,” does it really communicate anything? It says that whatever you are targeting will be at its best, but it doesn’t provide enough detail. In essence, using the word “optimize” is saying to your audience, “I know I’m not being specific enough, but hey, trust me that it helps you.” Not a statement on which you want to base your marketing efforts.
- Simplify: This is similar to “Optimize” in that you’re asking your audience to trust you without explaining. However, there is a child-related point to be made here as well. Does a child ever “simplify” your or anyone’s life? And I’m not joking here. Every child is a super-meaningful human being to his/her parent. So don’t talk about a BC’s product as simplifying. Reducing the cost of process X or streamlining the steps required to accomplish Y, sure. But simplify doesn’t tell us enough. Each child is highly sophisticated, and so is each BC’s product.
- Seamless: Ah, seamless. The “smurf” of the hi-tech world. It’s used all the time in many, many different contexts. It’s used to explain that software integrates with existing systems. It’s used to explain that a product picks up where another part of the supply chain leaves off. It’s used to communicate that, with this product, all your worries are out the window. It’s … just so darn overused.
Listen, these are just five words I’ve chosen to make a point, but there are so many others that just don’t do enough to effectively describe the companies and products that our BCs love like we love our children.
My advice: Get invested in the companies and products you represent. You will grow to love and appreciate them, too, and that will give you the connection required to make great things happen with their marketing and communications.
