Many marketing people – and CMOs – justify their existence by asking inane questions and deliberately confusing the client. I want to make it simple for everyone. I am unveiling the mystique of marketing, and maybe that transparency is what makes people nervous. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.
It’s a Trust Equation. I make it simple by taking it one step at a time. I ask: “What is going to shift your bottom line the most?” We identify that solution and then look at the current explanation on their website. If it doesn’t align, people won’t buy it. My job is to serve the client and their clients, not their ego. If they don’t want to listen to the truth, I can’t really help them.
The biggest lie is that people understand what they do. They don’t. Most of the time, they don’t even care, they just want to do what they do without thinking about the problems they are solving for clients. Businesses also mistakenly think people are religiously following their content or remember their previous posts. They aren’t. You are not the protagonist; your customer’s problem is.
The human truth: “Take away my pain.” Use language that connects to a concrete outcome. Instead of abstract features, use results like: “Reduces customer churn by 50%,” “Lasts longer than traditional tap washers,” or “One point of contact for all your needs.”
Opaque pricing is “salesy” to a T. It’s designed to hook people into a conversation where a salesperson uses psychological tactics like “Can you afford not to have this?” Enterprise clients are still human; they want the best solution, the cheapest price, or the prestige of a big brand name. You won’t move an ego-buyer away from a big brand with a dinner budget in Singapore, and you shouldn’t try. Real relationships are built on value exchange and respect. That’s where the lasting brands hang out.
Go to wherever your content hangs out: your blog, YouTube, or social media. Ask yourself: “What value does this give to my tribe that they didn’t know five minutes ago?” Don’t focus on what you learned as the expert; focus on what a customer could learn and do themselves. If you are adding value, everyone wins. If you are selling in your content, you aren’t helping anyone.