It takes months and years for organizations to develop products and services that go to market. Employees often get so attached to a working name that it becomes its consumer name. The name makes complete sense for those who have seen it grow but may have little relevance to the audience it is meant to serve.

This is a common and it is not hard to see why. Company culture is often so strong that it finds it way into external communications. As part of an organization, employees become so immersed in the way a company speaks to itself that it becomes hard to think in the terms of the consumer. Nomenclature and phrases that seem ubiquitous are a communications pitfall to the public.

It is important to review the working and marketing names of products and services in various stages of their development. Test them with consumers and find the way to speak to the end user in a way that is relevant, important, memorable, and tangible.

The two most important principals of benefit-driven marketing are to give your product a customer-friendly name and speak about your product in your customer’s language.

Who wants to buy a XE750?
First of all, what is an XE750? Is it a car; an all-in-one printer, faxer, scanner; a pacemaker; an MP3 player? Giving your product an ambiguous name makes it hard for your customers to identify its purpose, never mind see the benefit in owning it. Giving the product an obvious name will not only help clients understand it, it will make it easier to buy, more inviting to own, and easier to talk about. If the XE750 is a new, high-definition MP3 player, give it a name that touts it benefit—Harmony, the first high-def MP3 player.

The first, the best, the only…
Carefully scripted messages to your customers and potential customers are the other piece of the puzzle when in comes to benefit-driven marketing. Talk to your audience about how you will make their lives easier and better instead of telling them what you have to offer. Is it a 96 gigabite, high-definition, portable audio MP3 player or is it the “World first high-definition MP3 player that can accommodates your entire music collection of over 15,000 songs”? Direct your message to your customer so they can easily discern the value of your product.

Frequently, companies get lost in the mix because they suffer from internally-focused marketing. Take the time to reevaluate your messages to see if you can offer your customers and potential customers a new and refreshing perspective that has their needs in mind.

To own a concept is to be the brand that comes to mind when you think of a product, service, or idea. Think:
Soft drink—Coca Cola
Job finding—Monster.com
Reliability—Toyota

These “concept” brands do not compete. They are not followers. Their unique selling proposition is so strong that they set the terms the competition must achieve. Being the first, the only, or the best—no other brand comes close to the hold they have on their respective marketplaces. They are innovative, unique, and desirable—model brands that others aspire to become.

These brands’ success is a result of their ability to develop unique selling propositions by identifying unfulfilled, but desired gaps within their marketplace and meeting those needs.

A great example of a unique selling proposition that filled a huge gap in the marketplace was Monster.com—one of the first Internet job seeking services. Monster was able to bring the convenience of the Internet and email to a market that was traditionally based in print—clumsy newspapers, fancy resume paper, and snail mail. Monster also broke geographical barriers—allowing job seekers to search jobs within 10 miles of their house or across the country and made the possibility of finding a job in another city much simpler than it had been in the past.

Monster addressed the needs of both the job seekers and the employers so successfully, there no longer seemed to be any other logical way of doing things.

If having a strong unique selling proposition is so easy, why hasn’t everyone done it? The answer is because its not easy. First you need to identify what that gap is and exploit it with a single minded focus. Not easy for a firm rooted in a set way of doing business. We often refer to it as the Tarzan principal, afraid to completely let go of one vine before you’re sure the next vine will work. Second, few enterprises have the fortitude to stick with an immutable unique selling proposition.

In our current economic environment, it may be a great opportunity to explore developing a concept brand. Business is off and your competitors are spending more time staying afloat than finding the strategy to make them stronger. At the same time, your audience may be ready to hear a new message as their needs evolve.

Recessions bring opportunities. Uncover and market your unique selling proposition to emerge ahead of your competition.

Marketing and sales are two, often independent, functions of the organization that have the most control over the communication of an organization’s brand. Marketing, usually the keeper of the brand, has precise and organized communications. While sales, a key communicator of the brand, often takes a less calculated approach that depends on the materials provided by marketing as well as personality of the individual doing the selling.

Every day, your sales force is communicating with potential customers. Are they correctly representing your brand—your promise to your marketplace—that has been painstakingly developed by marketing?

Your sales force is often the first impression of your brand as well as the brand’s personal link to your potential customers—an audience of qualified and interested parties. Your potential customer has a better chance of remembering their interaction with your sales person than the piece of marketing collateral left behind. Take control by ensuring your sales force is your brand’s ambassador. Your efforts will be rewarded as your sales funnel narrows.

How valuable would it be to you to narrow your sales funnel? A narrowed sales funnel leads to:

• A more productive sales force
• Lower cost per sale
• A shorter sales cycle

For example, in your existing sales funnel, it may take your sales force 100 phone calls to book 25 appointments, 25 appointments to generate 5 proposals, and 5 proposals to reach 1 sale. Strengthening your message and aligning your sales strategy with your branding strategy can close the gaps, making your sales funnel more efficient. The resultant funnel may now be 50 phone calls to book 25 appointments, 25 appointments to generate 15 proposals, and 15 proposals to make 6 sales. Providing more sales for less cost, and dramatically improving the productivity of your sales team.

Use your sales force as a resource when developing brand strategy. They are out in the trenches every day. Communicating with existing and potential customers. Hearing their likes, dislikes, and wishes about the product or service you offer. Branding strategy is not to be developed in a vacuum—rely on the knowledge and expertise of the people on the front line as well as the your marketing team to ensure your branding strategy aligns with the needs of your audience.

What you communicate to your audience and how it is communicated—brand strategy and sales strategy—are two of the most important functions in your organization. They articulate who your are and what you have to offer as well as the manner in which you reach out to your marketplace, your customers, and your potential customers. Work together to establish goals, develop messaging, and create compelling communications that effectively reach your audience while communicating your branding strategy.

As the economy begins to regain steam, it is a great time to reevaluate your approach to sales and branding strategy. Is your sales funnel efficient? Is your sales team effectively identifying and communicating with potential and existing clients? Is your promise to your marketplace aligned at all points of communication—visual, written, and verbal? Take the time and work together, articulate your promise, identify and appeal to the needs of you potential customers, and accurately communicate your brand at all points of contact. Make it easy for your potential customers to make a commitment to you.

ADAMS also completed a new Web site for The Board Forum (www.theboardforum.com) which included design, content development, programming, and a custom content management system. The organization, which provides a forum and CEO Roundtables for the CEOs throughout New England, is now supported by a branding message that effectively communicates its unique process and services to its market.

Laurie Kirk, CEO of The Board Forum stated, “It is rare that you come upon a vendor as valuable as ADAMS. They took the time to understand my business and clients, worked  efficiently and effectively, and produced a highly valuable brand identity and Web site that has already begun to pay dividends. Ken’s powerful understanding of the sales process and the ability to inject that knowledge into the initial brand identity work sets ADAMS far ahead of any competition.”

About The Board Forum: The Board Forum is a challenging peer environment for chief executives who are committed to growing their companies, achieving personal success, and accelerating their goals. Through The Board Forum, executives can confidentially address their most pressing business issues—obtaining immediate and objective feedback from peers at every meeting; participating in effectively and efficiently facilitated roundtables; being held accountable by their peers to make and execute critical decisions; as well as having access to a private council of successful CEOs and thought-leaders.

About ADAMS: With resolute client focus, ADAMS is a results-driven branding firm that helps clients achieve their goals by developing compelling work grounded in sound strategy. For nearly two decades, ADAMS has collaborated with clients across diverse industries to increase their visibility, credibility, and profitability through deliberate, multi-faceted, and creative communications.

“ADAMS experience in financial services and healthcare as well as their expertise creating strategic communications allowed our site to be implemented quickly and efficiently. ADAMS immediately understood our business, our position, and our process, allowing them to translate it into the graphics and content for the site while efficiently managing the site’s development. They used a deliberate approach that will lead to results,” said Kendall Kay, President of KK & Company.

About KK & Comany: KK & Company provides strategic planning, marketing, and business development for financial services and health care organizations. Creating customized solutions that deliver a unique and profitable competitive advantage, KK & Company’s specialized knowledge of wealth accumulation, retirement income, wellness and employer markets help some of the world’s most prestigious institutions understand and meet their customers’ needs.

About ADAMS: With resolute client focus, ADAMS is a results-driven branding firm that helps clients achieve their goals by developing compelling work grounded in sound strategy. For nearly two decades, we have collaborated with clients across diverse industries to increase their visibility, credibility, and profitability through deliberate, multi-faceted, and creative communications.