Sales and marketing are two of the biggest hurdles founders face when growing their businesses. Many founders are strong in their craft but often need help communicating what makes their product or service stand out. Over the last two months, I’ve had the privilege of working with over 15 founders, and nearly all of them shared a common issue: their messaging was overloaded with features and technical jargon instead of focusing on clear, customer-driven benefits. It’s easy to fall into this trap—after all, you know your product best. But I’ve seen how simplifying your messaging can make all the difference.
Here are three tips to help you grow your business with clear, simple messaging:
1. Clarify your value proposition
If you can’t explain the value your product or service provides in one sentence, it’s too complicated. A clear value proposition speaks directly to the needs of your target audience. Start by asking yourself: What problem am I solving, and why is my solution the best?
Here’s a simple framework to craft your value proposition:
I help [audience], do [job], so they can [benefit, benefit].
For example: I help small business owners streamline their operations, so they can save time and focus on growing their revenue.
In almost every pitch I reviewed, the founders spent too much time explaining how their product worked rather than focusing on what it would do for their customers.
The key is to emphasize outcomes—the tangible benefits that improve your customer’s life or business.
- Emphasize results over features. Customers care less about how you do something and more about what it will do for them.
- Test your value proposition with people who aren’t familiar with your business. If they don’t understand it immediately, go back to the drawing board.
By leading with clarity and focusing on customer benefits, you’ll connect with your audience more effectively and create a message that resonates.
2. Use language your customers understand
Many of the founders I worked with relied heavily on industry-specific language, which alienated potential customers. The goal is to connect with your audience by speaking in plain, relatable terms.
Jargon and technical terms might make you sound smart, but they confuse your audience.
In almost all the messaging I review, founders default to using complex jargon that makes sense to them but leaves their audience confused.
Potential clients don’t care about the technical details—they want to know how your solution will save them time and reduce stress.
To break this down, focus on:
- Simplifying your language: Imagine explaining your product to a friend over coffee—how would you describe it in the simplest terms?
- Avoiding industry-specific terms: Instead of focusing on the features you’re excited about, describe what the product will do for your customer.
Once we strip out the jargon and lead with how the product saves time and reduces stress, the message will resonate.
Customers want to know how the solution solves their immediate problems. Technical features are secondary.
By cutting through the technical complexity and using simple, relatable language, you can build stronger connections with your audience—and ultimately, increase sales.
3. Lead with emotion, follow with logic
People make decisions based on emotion and justify them with logic. Craft messaging that taps into your customers’ emotional needs first.
Whether it’s a desire for security, confidence, or efficiency, appeal to their emotions before presenting the logical benefits of your product.
One founder I worked with was focused entirely on the technical superiority of his product, but the audience didn’t connect emotionally. After shifting his messaging to focus on the stress and uncertainty his customers felt before using his solution—and how his product helped them feel more in control—the pitch became much more powerful.
Once they were hooked on the emotional appeal, he could then present the logical benefits, such as how the solution was cost-effective, easy to implement, and guaranteed to deliver results.
Growing your business doesn’t have to involve complex marketing strategies.
By focusing on simple, clear messaging, you can cut through the noise and connect with your target audience in a meaningful way. Clarify your value proposition, speak in a language your customers understand, and appeal to both their emotions and logic.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from helping founders refine their pitches, it’s that less is more.
The majority of issues I saw came from over-complication—too much jargon and a lack of clarity on benefits.
By implementing these steps, you’ll simplify your message, position your business for success, and find that your sales process feels less like a struggle and more like a natural extension of the value you provide.
If you’re ready to move forward with a clear and effective marketing message that resonates with your audience, let’s connect! I help brands clarify their messaging so they can attract customers and grow their revenue. Visit forwardbrands.us today to get started.