Do Prospects Care About You, Or Just Your Product?

On another blog I visit, the discussion came up about whether it’s good for freelancers to explain why they do what they do.

Until last year, I didn’t think potential clients of mine cared about why I’m a designer and why I love doing what I do.

My belief was that someone who needed a designer really just wanted to see samples and get a sense of whether I’m dependable or not.

I had that belief because that’s how I feel when I’m looking for services. For example, if I need a plumber, I want someone who can do the job. Why he or she became a plumber doesn’t interest me when I’m in need of that service. It might be  a nice discussion after the job is done. But when there’s an immediate need, background info isn’t high on my list.

And there’s the problem. Did you spot it in the last paragraph? It can be tricky, so let me tell you…

My belief about what people want when they came to my site was based solely on how I see the world. I don’t usually care about background information or the ‘why.’ Thus, I believed no one else did.

I was wrong.

Let’s expand this conversation to your business.

It’s fair to say that not everyone cares about the ‘why.’

But – and this is a big one – there are probably enough people who do care that you should consider something on your site and in your marketing material that let’s those people know how you or your company got to where it is and why you do what you do.

In print material, like magalogs, this is a major function of page 2. With a magalog, you have the cover and then the main copy often starts on page 3, a right-hand page, just like most chapters in books start on a right-hand page.

Most copywriters I work with include a “Message from the President” or similar letter on page 2. That letter allows you to expose more of your personality or tell readers some behind-the-scenes information that helps build that deeper connection with customers and prospects.

The fact is, a good number of people need to feel that connection before investing in you. It can be very subtle. They may not even be able to put it into words. They just have a feeling that you’re a better choice.

That’s often a result of you taking the time to explain the ‘why.’

For example, the prospect is making a choice between you and a competitor. You took the time to explain the ‘why.’ Your competitor didn’t.

All else being equal, the prospect feels closer to you because you went beyond the product and let them see behind-the-scenes… you gave them more to relate to than simply, “Here’s my product and here’s what it will do for you.”

This is another case of doing something that doesn’t cost you much except for time. In my case, it was an About The Magalog Guy page on my site. It might be a heartfelt page 2 in your magalog.

(And, yes, many websites have an About section. But too often they lack any emotion or deep insight. It’s more of a ‘just the facts, ma’am‘ type of page.)

If you’re like I used to be, you may have never thought much about the ‘why.’ I’d challenge you to do that today and consider whether it would be a worthy addition to your marketing material.