The underrated copy tactic that you should be using

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One underrated copywriting tactic is to emphasise your process. By this, I mean talking about how you deliver on whatever benefits you promise to deliver.

This approach can work really well because it lends itself to demonstration. Rather than tell people how great your product is, your process lets you show how great it is, by talking about how you put it together. 

Here's a few situations where this can work really well:
 

When you're in a crowded market

Lots of markets are crowded. This is just a reality. I see lots of businesses tie themselves in knots trying to explain how they are different from the other 100 competitors providing the same service, and it never goes well.

If you're in this situation, talking about your process can be a great way to differentiate yourself from your competitors by talking about your shared benefits in a different way. 

Food companies often use this tactic. There are only so many things you can say about (for example) canned peaches, and those things are going to be hauntingly similar to whatever your competitors are saying. 

So rather than talk about how great their food is, food companies often talk about how they make it. This is more interesting, and it also shows their benefits rather than just talking about them.

Wattie's does this on their website.  They talk through the process of picking, selecting, canning, steaming, cooling and shipping. In and amongst this, they sneak in two key benefit statements: their lack of preservatives, and the fact that you can eat canned food all year round. But since these benefits are in the context of a process story, they are both more credible and more interesting than they would be just slapped on a billboard. 

 

When your customers care more about operational benefits

In some industries, customers care deeply about things like "no mistakes" and "on-time delivery." Construction and related suppliers are a good example of this. 

This puts you in a tough position if you're really good at delivering on these operational benefits. You can say that you deliver things on time until you're blue in the face - but why should anyone believe you? Of course you would say that. 

What's more, you can bet that all your competitors are going to be saying the same thing - regardless of whether they are able to do so or not. 

So in this situation, you can use your process to show how you deliver on these benefits. This gives you an edge over any competitors who are just telling that that they deliver on these benefits. It makes your claims more credible by putting your money where your mouth is. 

The other big benefit of this approach is that it can't be copied. If you say "we always deliver our products on time, " there's really nothing stopping your competitors from saying the same. 

But if you say "we always deliver on time, and here is exactly how we do it," then you're talking about something that can't easily be copied. You easily stand out from your competition because you're providing unique details that your competition can't match. 

 

When your work is highly customised

For service providers like coaches, graphic designers, consultants and (ahem) copywriters, the value of the finished product generally comes from how customised your service is. This is hard to articulate.

Samples and testimonials are useful, but they only go so far because of how customised the work is. 

If you focus too hard on the finished product, it's really hard to articulate value. That's because the real value comes from the process you go through to arrive at that finished product. So by focussing on that instead, you can tell a much more compelling story about why people should work with you. 

(Incidentally, this is how I approach my own value proposition - check it out on the home page of my website). 

 

Wrap it up

So consider talking about your process in your marketing material. It's not just a detail to talk about late in the sales cycle. Rather, it's something you can use early on to really set yourself apart from your competition and increase your credibility. 

Give it a go, and, as always, let me know how you get on. 

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Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash