Debunk your marketing platitudes

In today’s fast-paced world of marketing and sales, many companies fall back on tried and tested marketing platitudes to promote their products. While these arguments may seem convincing at first glance, they often prove to be ineffective and even detrimental to the sales strategy. In this article, we shed light on why it is time to question these marketing platitudes and replace them with authentic and differentiating arguments.

The trap of standard arguments

Companies invest a lot of time and resources in developing new products. In doing so, they often neglect the customer perspective. The products are then often technically excellent. But they do not answer the question of why the customer should buy this particular product.

This is where the problems begin: When the sales team is asked to present the product, they often resort to standard arguments such as “we are professional” or “we offer the best service”. These arguments may sound good, but they have no real differentiating value.

Why standard phrases do not work

Marketing phrases such as “professional”, “fair” or “reliable” are so worn out that they no longer evoke any positive reaction from customers.

We have heard them so often that they hardly have any meaning for the recipient. The customer will simply ignore these statements or, in the worst case, even reject them. This leads to a kind of reactance, a negative reaction to the attempt to convince him.

„Click…whirr“ effect

Tim Taxis, a renowned sales trainer, describes this effect aptly: the customer recognizes a sales phrase and mentally switches to “click through”. This click…whirr effect means that the customer immediately classifies the sales argument as irrelevant and pays no further attention to it. Just like the old cassette recorder: I do not like a part. I press the ‘fast forward’ button. And the tape hums over the spot.

The result is a lost sales opportunity because the actual message does not get through.

Real added value and individual product benefits

Instead of relying on empty phrases, companies should focus on real added value. This means engaging intensively with the target group, understanding their needs and communicating the product benefits on this basis. A deep understanding of customer needs makes it possible to develop a sales argument based on the customer’s actual pain points and wishes.

Another common mistake is to emphasize the sales arguments of the entire product category. Companies should emphasize the individual strengths of their own product. Sales arguments that apply to the entire product category offer no differentiation and do not help to set your own product apart from the competition.

Instead, companies should emphasize the specific features and benefits of their own products that make them unique and valuable to customers.

Practical example: The right sales pitch

Let us take a software solution for project management as an example. Many companies offer such solutions, and the general benefits are well known:  Increased efficiency, better team communication and optimized project planning.

However, these general arguments do not make your product stand out from the many alternatives. So how can you improve your sales pitch? Here are a few approaches:

1. Show concrete benefits: Instead of saying that the software improves project planning, state specific benefits, such as “Our software reduces planning time by up to 40% and enables real-time monitoring of project spend.”

2. Highlight unique technical features: If the software has specific technical features that set it apart from other products, these should be communicated clearly and understandably. “Our software integrates AI-based resource optimization that increases the efficiency of resource usage by 20%.”

3. Include customer focus: In addition to technical features, you should address how the product solves specific needs of the target group. For example: “Our software is ideal for growing companies that want to manage their projects in a scalable and cost-efficient way.”.

The radical measure: delete and re-evaluate empty phrases

An effective step to test the effectiveness of your sales strategy is to rigorously remove all marketing phrases from your materials. Take your current sales brochures, presentations and advertisements and systematically remove all hackneyed phrases. What is left?

This radical approach forces you to identify and emphasize the true strengths and unique selling points of your product or service. If there is little to nothing of substance left after deleting the platitudes, it is time to take a step back and rethink the fundamental value proposition of your offering. This can be a painful but necessary process to understand whether your product truly meets the requirements and needs of your target audience.

Conclusion: The path to a convincing sales strategy

The key to a successful sales strategy is to quit using worn-out marketing platitudes and instead focus on genuine, differentiating benefits. Companies need to know their target groups precisely and focus their argumentation on what really interests and convinces the customer.

By developing an in-depth sales argument based on customers’ real needs and desires, companies can strengthen their market position and increase customer loyalty.

Take a critical approach to your own sales brochures and presentations, filter out empty phrases and focus on real added value. This is the only way to ensure that your message reaches the customer and convinces them in the long term.