FOCUS | How to Create Powerful Marketing Messages

When I consult with entrepreneurs, publishers or major corporations, I start by asking them to share their F.O.C.U.S with me.� At first, most say ?creating wealth,? ?making money,? or ?selling more products.?

Can you put your core offering into one compelling sentence?

I always ask them, for the purpose of achieving those goals, to shift their focus from the end result to the first challenge; clearly stating their unique value to a potential customer.� This ?why to buy? focus helps businesses center their marketing, branding and public relations messages around the most important point of all?their offering.

F.O.C.U.S stands for ?Find Our Core Unique Service.?� Figuring this out helps companies address one of the four key elements of branding; variation.� Asking the tough questions, doing the research and creating clear, concise communications will save entrepreneurs and even bigger companies time, money and frustration.

Some questions to ask to help define the unique service or selling proposition are:

How is this service or product different from all others in the competitive set?

• Less expensive, more detailed, easier to use, more conveniently located?

Does the personality of this business or service give it something special?

• Is the business or service provider more highly qualified, more experienced, personally enriched by the product usage?

Why would someone choose this product or service from all other choices available?

• Better customer service and support, first to market, more stylish packaging, more rave reviews, higher perceived value?

Try to put your core offering into one compelling sentence.� This exercise will tell you if you?ve nailed your F.O.C.U.S.� I invite you to post your F.O.C.U.S. statement here and I’ll give you my opinion on whether or not your statement conveys your F.O.C.U.S. to me.� Go.

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