Tony Robbins has this quote:
“Complexity is the enemy of execution”
And while I don’t plan on tiptoeing on scorching hot charcoal like Oprah anytime soon…
...I wholeheartedly agree.
Because it’s one of the most powerful principles in marketing.
See, when we come up with a product or service, we don’t want to let it sit on the shelf gathering dust.
We want it out there, solving people’s problems we built it for.
So what do we do?
We pull up our landing page and spew out every little benefit our minds can think of.
It makes you more money... makes your moles disappear... saves you time... makes you sleep better... grows hair on your skull… yada, yada, yada.
The more benefits you squeeze in your marketing message, the more people will line up with open wallets... right?
The more the merrier, and all?
Not exactly.
In 2000, a couple of psychologists walked into a food market in California.
They set up a display table where bywalkers could find 24 different kinds of jams.
The next day, they gave people only 6 different types of jam choices.
The results?
People bought 7X more jam when they had 6 choices.
Translation?
Give people too much choice and they’ll whistle merrily –– walking away from your offer.
And for the honor of brevity…
“A confused mind never buys.”
You see, the most effective messages are built around one single big idea.
Now let’s get down to brass tacks:
When creating your messaging, there are 6 different dimensions of the Power of One.
“What?! Wasn’t this supposed to be about ONE THING only?
Sush, you smartypants.
Every dimension you’ll find below is about honing down your message to one thing.
With that said, let’s dive in...
— One big idea.
No more than one core idea should drive your message forward.
— One audience.
Speak to everyone and you’re speaking to no one at all. Target one segment of your audience with your messaging and it will be sharper a razor blade.
— One core emotion.
You should evoke and stimulate one main emotion.
— One riveting story.
There should be one story to shape the idea and make it real.
— One desirable benefit.
Pick just one main benefit out of the many your product offers.
— One Call to Action.
The prospect must be guided to take one crystal clear action.
Let me give you an example for good measure…
Not too long ago, I wrote a promotion for a big nutrition influencer.
The product was an all-inclusive lab test guide to optimize your health.
What you just read above was silly talk.
“An all-inclusive lab test guide to optimize your health.”
Incoherent babbling.
How do you sell that?
You could promise better health, more energy, brighter skin or clearer eyesight.
But that’d be just like a protest where everyone is yelling their own chant.
Instead, I focused on one story, one promise, and one emotion.
And here’s the headline I wrote:
“How to Banish Any Deficiency From Your Body”
We told the story of the influencer turning vegan in the past, which staggered his metabolism because of nutrition deficiencies.
By taking the right lab tests, this would never happen to his audience.
“You talk a big game, but did it work?”
The sales page saw a conversion lift of 50%, making the client happier than a seagull with a french fry.
But I digress —
Here’s the big takeaway:
Seek ways to “cut the fat” off your messaging…
While focusing on a single objective for your message.
This doesn’t mean you have to say less.
Often you might find yourself saying much more when laying out your marketing argument.
Point is for everything to connect together like a chain, pushing forward ONE IDEA…
...otherwise, you’ll soon find your business walking through fire.
On your side,
Chris Rigoudis.