Handles and Suitcases

Many times in high tech marketing we have a very complicated product.    And quite often it can be in infrastructure (don't yawn yet).   Try as we may, we just cannot simplify the explanation of the product or service.   Just cannot put a handle on it.  So instead we describe the shape and contents of the entire suitcase of features and benefits.  And during the presentation our audience elects to read their email instead of listening to us.

A very effective technique is describing a quick story which starts with "Have you ever......."   Hopefully something somewhat witty and terse.   That can be your handle.    And then people have an anchor point from which to understand your product or service.

A few weeks ago we got into a channel discussion, trying to figure out which features would appeal to which portions of the channel.    I was getting excited about the potential for resellers to really expand their business.   My associate explained many of them were Winnebago accounts.    Maybe I went cross eyed then, but he went on to explain.  They were just fine with their current customer base, thank you very much.   Their only interest was how to make enough new money to buy a new Winnebago for the upcoming vacation season.   Now that was a precise handle on a complex segmenting problem.   And you can do it too.