You need to get both the content and the packing of your customer messaging right to communicate with impact. Use these six messaging tools and platforms, so your prospects receive and engage with your offer.
As a B2B startup founder, you need to get your target customers to understand and engage with what you’re selling.
This starts with fine-tuning the content of your communication.
I shared a messaging framework you can use to explain the value your business offers in an earlier blog.
It’s just as critical that you get the packaging right – that is, how you present your message using various tools and platforms, so your prospects receive and engage with your offer.
The content is your “What?”
The packaging is your “How?”
In this guide, I take you through the six tools and platforms you can use to make sure your message reaches your target customer with impact.
6 Messaging Tools for Impactful Communication
These communication channels include traditional sales and marketing tools, as well as digital platforms.
I’ll guide you through some of these tools using my client, Voxeltek – an end-to-end technology that helps dental technicians adopt digital dentistry tools – as an example, so you can see how to apply these principles in real life.
1. Email
Email is one of the most effective ways to communicate with prospects, but if not written and presented properly, it can cause more harm than good.
Ineffective emails get ignored, deleted, or even end up in your target customer’s spam folder.
Create a series of 3-4 emails introducing you to potential business partners and asking them to take action.
Send one after another, depending on whether you get a response to the previous email.
If you want your emails to stand out, always follow this messaging framework:
1. Start with your prospect’s Desired Outcome
Remember, don’t start off by talking about yourself!
Instead, focus on your customers and their problems from their perspective.
Your target customer’s Desired Outcome is the ideal situation they imagine for themselves in the area your solution addresses.
It answers the question: “What do I (target customer) want to achieve?”
You may choose to include your Desired Outcome in the subject line.
For example:
- Subject line: Free your dental lab from outdated technology
- Text: We can help you digitalize your dental lab by providing leading technology with low running costs and a quick return on investment.
2. Highlight a Problem-Solution Connection
The problem-solution connection is how you present your product or service and connect it to your reader’s problems.
Highlight this connection by clearly stating the problem and describing how your solution fixes it.
For example:
- Outdated dental labs are losing customers thanks to inadequate lab technology. (PROBLEM)
- Our team at Voxeltek offers dental labs an introduction to the digital workflow by providing an end-to-end lab system that’s affordable and powerful. (SOLUTION)
3. Include a clear Call-to-Action
End your email with a clear CTA so your reader understands what you expect them to do in response to your offer.
Some examples:
- “Click here to download our free guide.”
- “Learn more about our services.”
- “Schedule an appointment today.”
4. Follow up with 2-to-3 additional emails
When communicating with prospects via email, be prepared to follow up.
Your initial email may have ended up in the spam folder, or they may have simply missed it.
So, get ready to send two or three follow-up emails as part of your email communication process.
While writing these follow-up emails, you should repeat the messaging framework but simply use different words or phrases to provide a bit of variety in your copy.
5. Craft a clever subject line
The subject line is the first thing people will see in their inbox, so it’s essential you grab their attention and make them want to open your email.
Examples:
- Poor: July Newsletter, Information
- Effective: 5 tips that’ll save you 30%, You won’t believe what we’re offering…
2. One-Pager
A one-pager, sales sheet, or flier is a short and sweet introduction to your business and your value proposition.
You can send it as an email attachment or make it available via a link on your website that visitors can download and keep.
Your “one-pager” can be up to two pages long, but definitely not longer.
Give your potential clients a structured overview of what problem you solve and how they can benefit from your solution.
While writing your one-pager, follow the messaging framework, and keep these tips in mind:
1. Reflect the Desired Outcome in your headline
Structure the Desired Outcome with your customer in focus and present it through a short and captivating headline.
For example:
- Ready to Move Your Dental Lab into the 21st Century?
2. Explain the Value Proposition in your sub-headline
Your value proposition is a signature statement that explains what and whose problems you solve and how you solve them. Refer to it right after your headline.
For example:
- Voxeltek offers dental labs an easy introduction into digital workflow by providing an end-to-end lab system with low running costs and a quick return on investment.
3. Highlight the Top 3 benefits at the top of the page
In this part, select the top three customer benefits from your service, and present them near your headline and value proposition.
For example:
1. End-to-end lab system | 2. Low running costs | 3. Quick return on investment
4. Use visuals to highlight key points
Be both creative and practical. Show your credibility with your logo and use photos that showcase how your solution impacts others.
5. Include your contact information
Lastly, don’t forget to add your number, email address, or social media profile so potential clients can reach you.
You don’t know how your one-pager will be distributed, so you must make it easy for your target customer to follow up with you.
3. Website
Your website is the first point of contact for most interested parties.
When designing your website, make sure to be mindful of your:
1. Home Page
Follow the same messaging framework and copy as your one-pager for your landing page.
2. Key Visuals
Choose visuals that illustrate the Desired Outcome. It’s best to use photos or illustrations of people similar to your target audience experiencing the benefits of using your solution.
Think in terms of positive emotions, satisfaction, and joy.
For example:
3. Offer
You can include an offer on your web page, depending on the nature and maturity of the sales process.
With my experience as a business mentor, I’ve discovered a simple formula for presenting your offer.
If your call-to-action is a ‘Click and buy’ type, you must include the offer.
If your product or service requires interim steps before making a purchase – e.g., ‘Book a demo’ – then include the offer if the pricing strategy is validated or fixed.
Otherwise, give your target customers a simple, three-step process they can follow to engage with your solution.
For example:
4. Sub-Pages
Use the sub-pages of your website – e.g., Product, Pricing, Clients – to break out the different elements of your home page and messaging framework into greater detail.
4. Pitch Deck
A pitch deck, or sales presentation, is a 10-15 slide presentation that you can use to pitch your business.
When offering new clients business coaching services, I often use a pitch deck to give them a short introduction to what I do.
It piques their interest, and they want to learn more.
While creating the presentation, which you should be able to cover comfortably in 15-20 minutes, follow this simple, three-section format:
1. Section I: Problem
Identify the specific problem your product or service solves.
Then, show the impact of this problem if it’s not adequately addressed.
2. Section II: Solution
Specify the solution you offer.
To start, simply restate your value proposition.
You can then add further details about how your solution works (“Delivery”) and proof that others similar to your target customer have already benefited from your product or service (“Credibility”).
3. Section III: Path to a Deal
In this section, include your offer and call-to-action, and repeat the key benefits your prospect will experience if they take advantage of your solution.
Don’t be afraid to use visuals throughout the presentation to highlight key points.
Just make sure to follow the same principle as the one-pager.
5. Social Media
Consider having a digital presence on ‘the Big Five’ social media platforms – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
For B2B businesses, Facebook and LinkedIn are a must. The rest are useful but not as necessary.
When creating a post, write headlines to reflect your value proposition, while the rest of the copy reflects your messaging framework.
Use consistent visuals. For example, you can use the key visual from the top of your web page for your company profile on LinkedIn.
Your readers will connect those, as they won’t remember your words as much as they’ll remember images.
6. Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a brief and exciting introduction of who you are and what you do, and you can use it at conferences or events.
You should base your elevator pitch on your value proposition, making it the first sentence of your pitch.
Create 10, 15, and 30-second versions, where each version adds a layer of detail to support your value proposition – including Credibility, Delivery, or Offer.
You can experiment with the duration of your elevator pitch, but keep in mind the maximum length of 60 seconds.
Make Sure Your Messaging Tools Are Consistent
As you’re putting together your various tools and materials, keep in mind that they are only as effective as they are consistent in their messaging.
Make sure your consistency extends to the brand identity, including the logo, fonts, colors, icons, and keywords you use.
This will ensure that anytime your potential customer comes into contact with you or your business, they will hear the same thing.
Each tool or platform may require some tweaking to adjust for the depth of information – just remember to keep the messaging framework at the heart of everything you do.
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