Google’s pretty useful. It is difficult to imagine the internet without its all-pervasive presence. But trying to overly appeal to its search algorithm is an ugly way to craft your first story. Indeed, if one of the ultimate truth tests of your primary message is to respond to “what do you do?”, then attempting to … Continue reading Keywords according to Google do not a story make
Category Archives: value proposition
Any business could create its narrative from many different objective viewpoints We all, as a business have different stories, different parts of our whole. But we can tell only one. Deconstructing your business to find your One Central Truth is necessary to unearth who you are. A Million Dollar Message emerges from a structured chaos … Continue reading A business is invariably many stories…but you can tell only one
Hairdressers seem particularly prone to them – “Hair today, gone tomorrow”, “Hair apparent”. Garden landscapers are often close behind – “I dig gardening”, “Gardeners know all the dirt”. We’re talking puns, word play which hopefully raises a smile (as an aside, the language knowledge needed to understand a pun is very sophisticated. This is because … Continue reading Put a pun in your first message at your own peril
Many of us, myself included, are often guilty of over-wording our message. We use two words when one would do. We use generic words when our story screams for a metaphor. We use little known words that can embarrass people because they don’t understand their meaning. The key to creating your own Million Dollar Message … Continue reading Making your story simple yet profound
Once, the following terms were new and fresh. But, as everyone starts using them, abusing them, they become overused, they become ignored. These words actually make it harder for people to understand you – which is ironic because they originally were meant to do the opposite. Audit, tax and advisory services firm Grant Thornton recently … Continue reading Use these words at your peril (or…how quickly terms become overused)
We all have different concerns, issues and requirements we’d like solved in some way. Many of us are selling products or services to answer such concerns. And the simple fact is, we may have only one chance to alert a person you’re the one who can be of use. How do you ensure you’re exactly … Continue reading Messages that matter dissolve resistance
Restricting yourself to 10 words, tell me about your business. Have you described why someone should be interested in your product or service? Have you given me a what and a why? Is part of the heart and soul of who you are evident along with your value proposition? Does what you say sound fresh, … Continue reading If you’ve only got one chance to tell your story…
Ever been at a function, say a BBQ, and asked someone what they do…their story business-wise? Some people come back with, “well, we do lots of things.” Immediately you begin to switch off. That person has irretrievably lost their best chance to pique your interest. They’ve frittered their golden opportunity for you to ask “tell me … Continue reading Why you can only tell one story (at a time)
Far too often, as if they’ve pulled terms from a cliche-word-generator, an organisation’s first most important message is meaningless. Their 2-10 word opening story – as a value proposition, slogan, tagline – fails. It fizzles instead of flying, is a three cent mess, rather than being a Million Dollar Message. And instead of inspiring more … Continue reading The seven words your value proposition, slogan or tagline should NEVER have
As a value proposition ‘Ours not mine’ is a pretty emotionally powerful set of three words. Its Million Dollar Message is self-evident. So hats off to the national organisation which also has a great tagline in ‘Giving nature a voice’. The poster lines a design company’s window display I regularly walk past. It may be … Continue reading Forest & Bird nail a value proposition with ‘Ours not mine’