5 tips to simplify your propositions

Given the rise of advanced analytics, AI, and smart technology, it’s no surprise that B2B products and propositions are more complex than ever. What’s more, buying habits and the B2B purchase cycle have changed significantly. Leaving decision-makers under more pressure and scrutiny to ensure they make the right purchase decisions.

Yet, with customers spending on average 15 seconds scanning your content, no one has time to wade through words and jargon. We’re busy, and our customers are busy. To cut through the noise, we need to be clear and concise, human-centered, and unique.

Here are 5 key tips to simplify your B2B products and propositions (that I’ve seen work to generate more leads and revenue):

1. Use a clear headline

If it’s not immediately obvious what your product does, potential clients will quickly lose interest in you. They don't want to dig around to find out exactly how you can help them. Your product or proposition must be easy to understand. Boil down all the complexity into a single clear headline.

Headlines act like a foot in the door. They don’t have to be clever, but they do need to focus on the benefit to the reader.

In this example, Crazy Egg realises that not everyone will be familiar with the concept of heatmaps or behavioural tracking, so they simplify what the product does.

2. Create a human-to-human connection

No matter how complicated the industry, B2B audiences are still composed of real people.

To create meaningful connections, brands need to start behaving less like faceless institutions and more like people. Customers everywhere are demanding that companies connect in new ways: be more transparent, empathetic, open, and authentic.

Within your product and proposition messaging, explain what you do, who you serve, and how you’re different, in easy to understand human language.

HubSpot understands that human-based messaging is powerful. It clearly establishes itself as a solution that’s customer-centric, by using a conversational approach. It gives a friendly invitation to work together towards a common goal. It doesn't try to sell to you; rather, it makes a human-to-human connection and offers guidance. 

3. Visual content is a must

There’s more to product messaging than copy alone. Images communicate much faster than words. Show the product image, the hero shot, or an image reinforcing your main message.

In addition to images, video is one of the most engaging marketing mediums out there, it draws the eye, engages, and converts.

In this example, Slack is all about simplicity – and the brand wants to make life easy for companies who just introduced the platform to their employees. Even better, the brand does this with high-energy, quirky videos that are in line with its overall branding.

4. Break it down into key steps or bullets

If you have a particularly complex product or proposition, it can help to break it down into a step-by-step process.

I know I am biased, but I love this example, which clearly breaks down a complex attribution solution into four key steps. The video animates the step-by-step process, and then a shorter version of the steps is shown further down the page for those that don’t have time.

5. Be unique

Your proposition needs to tell customers exactly what they will get from you and what sets you apart. Explain to them what makes you different and better.

Remember: You don’t need to be unique to the whole world, just in the customer’s mind. The closing of a sale takes place in a customer’s mind, not out in the marketplace among the competition.

Unbounce has honed its USP down to a science. ‘Create custom landing pages with Unbounce – no coding required’. While there are similar companies out there that offer DIY landing pages, Unbounce was the first to make landing page design without coders or developers a core part of their proposition.

Wrapping it up

Hopefully, these tips have given you some ideas of how you can improve or clarify your business’ product and proposition messaging. You don’t need an immense marketing or design budget to nail it.

In summary:

• Focus on concise, human-based messaging

• Use clear headlines, sub-headlines, bullets, key steps, and visuals

• Test, test, test

If you would like to discuss these ideas or need help with creating highly effective B2B product and proposition-led marketing strategies, get in touch today.