What Are You NOT?


Every small business owner struggles with their messaging from time to time and this is especially true when developing content for a new or refreshed website.

I - and you - can sit and make a long list of words and phrases that describe the way we work with customers. That's a good idea, of course.

Here's a more powerful option and, in some ways, it makes the task easier.
  1. Search your words and phrases online. See what others in the same line of work are saying about themselves and the way they do business.
  2. Start a list of the words and phrases that are NOT like you and your business, that are clearly not ones you would use. They will practically jump off the screen at you.
  3. Using that NOT list, write a list of 'opposites'. If this is how you're not, then change it to the way you are.
Now you can use these new words and phrases as you develop your website content and marketing messages. And you could easily include a bullet list of "This is not ..." to clarify your messaging.

Identifying what you're not, helps you focus on what you are - your true value proposition.

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originally published in Work Better, Not Harder July 30, 2019

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