Many popular songs are recorded using only a few guitar chords. For instance, Wild Thing by The Troggs, Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Sweet Home Alabama by Lynryd Skynryd use only three. No, they are not the same three chords—and there are others to choose from—but the point is you don’t have to hit a lot of notes to make sweet marketing music. In fact, if your company mostly serves other businesses, you can build a nice messaging repertoire from just five.
What makes this even easier to grasp is that you don’t need to remember “Every Good Boy Does Fine,” or to “FACE” the music. Thanks to the Microsoft Word thesaurus, all our B2B messaging chords start with a P. And so, without further fanfare, here they are:
P1 – Profitability
An appeal to profitability is inherent in most B2B marketing. That’s superficially obvious, but there’s real psychology going on. Business owners seek better margins because of what additional dollars represent to them as individuals. Unless we’re dealing with Scrooge McDuck (who just wants great wealth to roll around in) money is only a means to an end. For most business owners, the goal is to provide well for themselves and their families. Others enjoy the competition that comes with building a successful business. And some people simply love what they do and want to keep doing it. When you offer to help improve profitability, your target audience can translate that into assistance in achieving their highest aspirations.
P2 – Productivity
Improved productivity typically increases profitability, true, but it may also mean a less onerous work day for business owners and/or their employees. Then, maybe, the pay-off becomes better work-life balance instead of a bulging bottom line. Regardless of where your B2B customers find the value, any time you can help them attain higher productivity using the same (or fewer) resources, you’ll have rapt listeners.
P3– Performance
A company’s performance usually boils down to how favorably customers evaluate the experience of doing business with it. This could mean assessing the quality/value of the provided products, noting the responsiveness of staff, or enjoying a comfortable and safe commercial environment. By helping businesses perform better, you empower them to strengthen their own client bases by gaining greater loyalty from their customers. If you can do this for your business clients, they will be all ears.
P4 – Provision
As you’re doubtlessly aware, there are aspects of running an organization that you don’t have the time, expertise or inclination to do as well as you should. This might be anything from watering plants to installing a computer network. How could the service or services provided by your company free up your customers to devote more time to what they do best? The answer to this question is well worth sounding off in your marketing communications.
P5 – Peace of Mind
Secretary of Defense James Mattis was asked what keeps him up at night. He confidently replied, “Nothing. I keep other people awake a night.” Well, good for him. As for the rest of us—especially those running a business—there are plenty of worries to keep us from enjoying a good night’s sleep. Telling your customers how you can provide them with a little more “peace of mind” is practically singing them a lullaby.
But what about another P, namely, Price? It’s going to be important, but unless you’re sure you’re offering a deal that your competitors will find it hard to match, it may not be a marketing note you want to strike too often. Sales prospects will either find your price acceptable or they won’t, and unless you’re Wal-Mart, price isn’t going to make you special. For the most part, you’ll play a more memorable B2B tune with your own original composition.
Bonus P – Pinstripe
If you need a little help, give the Pinstripe team a call!
