Closing the Sale in a Crowded Market: The Secret of Selling Your “Because”

What does your company do that your competitors can’t or don’t do that proves your value to customers?

Marketing expert Gerry O’Brion joins host Menny Hoffman to discuss how small businesses can break through crowded markets using lessons from big brands. In this insightful interview, Gerry explains his “Because Framework” for developing compelling and differentiated messaging that attracts the right customers.

Gerry O’Brion speaks to companies and sales teams looking to drive revenue in crowded industries during times of great change. He teaches an influential yet straightforward framework that prompts customers to choose you over all other options. Gerry is renowned for revealing the “Power of BECAUSE” – the missing element that sparks sales and propels companies beyond the sea of sameness. After years as a marketing and strategy executive building iconic brands like Tide and Coors Light, he leveraged his C-suite experience with billion-dollar companies to create a proven system for influence. Gerry’s framework enables organizations of any size to achieve the gravitas and effectiveness of leading brands through targeted strategies.

Transcript

(00:00:00 – 00:06:30) Demystifying Big Brand Magic

Big budgets help, but small businesses can still succeed through specificity – narrow your focus to serve your ideal customers exceptionally well.
Start crafting your marketing message by identifying your ideal customer and their needs using the “Because Framework”: Who are you influencing? What are their insights? What’s the promise/outcome? What’s the proof (your “because”)?
Your “because” must communicate what makes you different and better suited to delivering on your promise. Generic claims sound like marketing fluff.

(00:06:31 – 00:15:00) Mission vs. Messaging – What Customers Care About

Your company’s inspirational “why” matters internally but customers care about “what” you do for them and “how” you deliver.
You can have multiple “becauses” to use for different audiences and at different points in your sales process.
If a competitor chose another provider over you, use that as an opportunity to uncover insights into their decision-making.

(00:15:01 – 00:23:30) Cracking the Code of Hard-to-Reach Prospects

An ultra-specific “because” tailored to the mindset of your influencer gave one company immediate access to previously unreachable decision-makers.
If you’re struggling to break through, you likely need to better understand the person you’re trying to influence and what problems they need to be solved.
Your “because” must be compelling and unique enough that ideal customers want to engage upon seeing/hearing it.

(00:23:31 – 00:31:30) Packaging Persuasion – Making the Most of Limited Space

For product packaging with limited space, be strategic about the messaging progression and highlight your most compelling “because” first.
The “Because Framework” works the same whether you’re marketing to consumers, retailers, or distributors – identify who you’re influencing and what matters most to them.
Highly targeted niche marketing helps small businesses punch above their weight class and appear more credible.

(00:31:31 – 00:39:00) The Power of Precision – Dominating Your Niche

When launching something new with a limited budget, ultra-specificity about who you serve helps you save money and increase conversion rates.
Big brands are relentless about listening to customers for insights – small businesses should follow suit.
If you lose out on a sale, use it as a learning opportunity to determine if something in your framework needs improvement.

Practical Pointers

The first question a business owner needs to ask is, Where do my current clients come from - and where can I find more like them? Many times, the answer is in small niches where people already value what you offer. That means that the next question you need to ask is, What does your business bring to the table that the bigger competitor doesn’t bring or can’t bring? And the third question which follows is, What is the most effective way of convincing those potential clients that you offer something that bigger companies do not?

The biggest mistake that companies make when it comes to marketing, is making promises without also giving the “Because” - meaning, the reason that you will be able to keep your promise. Promises without a “because” sound like empty marketing fluff. Promises with a “because” offer a compelling reason for a potential client to choose you instead of someone else.

The following exercise is very important: Write down, “You should buy from us instead of from our competitors because- “ and complete the sentence with your authentic answer. If your answer sounds the same as any of your competitors, you’re just adding to your customers’ confusion, when they actually want certainty that they’re making the right decision. So think long and hard about the “because” that will make your business unique while remaining true to what you can actually do.

Many people confuse their “Because” with their “Why” - and that’s a big mistake. Your “Why” is the reason that you do what you do, and is a type of mission statement that can inspire you and your employees. But when you’re selling something and a customer is about to give you money, he doesn’t care about your “Why”; he cares about your “Because” - meaning, what you do differently from everyone else, and how you can deliver that unique aspect to your client. When you talk about your “Because,” you are giving your client the certainty that buying from you is the right choice.

The main thing that big companies do better than small companies is listening and learning from their customers. Understanding the mindset of the people you serve is the foundation of all influence. So act like the big companies, and learn to ask questions. Make surveys. Go to the people who chose your competitor instead of you and ask them why they made that decision. Getting this information will help you better focus on how to close the next sale.

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