Crafting your core message (is hard)

[nominal]

I've just came across a nice little article to assist with crafting your core message. It provides a few simple questions you need to ask:
* What do I sell?
* What are the features?
* The benefits?
* Advantages over competitors
* who could use it

You can then use this to build your core message:
We sell [what you sell] to [prospects who could use it]. This makes their lives easier by providing [features] which [benefits]. In our market we excel because we [advantage].


For example:
We sell accounting software to micro businesses. This makes their lives easier by providing all in one package which saves time doing their books. In our market we excel because we provide online bank feeds, payroll, ATO forms at fair price.

I am not sure how 'sticky' this core message is, I'm reading the book 'made to stick' and he reckons your message needs to be:
* Simple
* Unexpected
* Concrete
* Credible
* Emotional
* Story

So the core message should have a simple image, with a twist to it, that has actuals in it, sounds credible, triggers some emotions and has a bit of a story to it.

The way I see it our product helps micro (mostly new) businesses (and owners) manage their businesses by making it simple to do their day to day bookkeeping tasks. Giving them the confident that they are doing the right thing with their bookkeeping.

The analogy I came up with is of child taking their first steps and we're holding their hands to give them that little support they need.

Something like:
Steadying your first steps in business accounting

In contrast the core message for the competitors are:

• MYOB - making business life easier
• Xero - beautifull accounting software
• saasu - solves problems in an online world
• Bizz Wizz - Easy to use software for trades and small business
• Cashflow manager - The Simplest Bookkeeping Solution on the Planet
• Cashbook complete - Australia's Easiest Accounting Software
• Accomplish Cashmanager - The Simpler alternative for business accounting
• Sage - go home early with Sage
• Attache - Our business is to help improve your business

I like the one about going home early, there's a real story there.
Any day when I go home early is a GOOD day.

Ideas?

[PowerofWords]

Originally Posted by nominal

For example:
1. We sell accounting software to micro businesses. This makes their lives easier by providing all in one package which saves time doing their books. In our market we excel because we provide online bank feeds, payroll, ATO forms at fair price.

The way I see it (2) our product helps micro (mostly new) businesses (and owners) manage their businesses by making it simple to do their day to day bookkeeping tasks. Giving them the confident that they are doing the right thing with their bookkeeping.

The analogy I came up with is of child taking their first steps and we're holding their hands to give them that little support they need.

3. Something like: Steadying your first steps in business accounting

Hi. My comments relate to what you've said and I added the numbers.

Number 1 - remember that you need one thing to stand out - two things are competing. I am looking for your Unique Selling Prop. in this paragraph - it's a toss up between the all-in-one package that saves time and the online bank feeds, payroll etc for value pricing (perhaps both are not unique). You need to ask questions of your customers to get the real unique point. It could be simplicity and ease of use ... keep asking and you'll get your answer. Lead with one core point, you can add other benefits further on.

And when you're marketing turn it around and always say You... (never say "we excel" in your marketing)

Number 2 is a nice informal explanation useful in networking.

Number 3 is your slogan. I'm not sure about the lasting power of this as a slogan (they might want to grow with their program) and it does sound like a service more than a software. But it is original which is good.

Hope this is helping you get to a great core message.