How to Achieve Messaging-Market Fit by Dan Olsen

Ensuring Message- Market

Fit Dan Olsen

Olsen Solutions

SF PR Summit July 31, 2013

Dan Olsen Olsen Solutions July 31, 2013 SF PR Summit

How to Achieve Messaging-Market Fit

Copyright © 2013 Olsen Solu7ons

My Background n Technical background n MBA, Stanford n  Led Quicken Product Management at Intuit n  Led Product Management at Friendster n CEO & cofounder of YourVersion, “Pandora for your news”

n Consultant: Box, YouSendIt, Epocrates, OneMedical

Will post slides to hQp://slideshare.net/dan_o

http://slideshare.net/dan_o

What is Messaging-‐Market Fit? n  Lean Startup: Product-‐Market fit

n Making sure that customers like your product

n What about messaging? n Right features but wrong message? n Messaging-‐Market fit

n Making sure that how you message your product resonates with customers


Key Elements of Customer Experience

Func7onality

UI Design Messaging


What Do Prospec7ve Customers See First?


• Messaging

• Design •  Features? (not yet)

At Amazon, the first thing they do is write the press release

Market Benefits, Not Features

n Most companies focus on features n Lots of reasons why

n  “People don’t want a quarter-‐inch drill. They want a quarter-‐inch hole.”

n Feature-‐speak = non-‐benefits speak n 3rd Genera7on Intel Core i5 Processor n Netgear N300 Wireless Router n  Infini7 JX35 (now Infini7 QX60) n Acer C710-‐2055



Really???

“With a 5-‐megapixel camera with flash, con7nuous auto-‐focus and image stabiliza7on, plus 11 photo modes and video recording, it's easy to capture those spontaneous moments.”

“Take beau7ful, detailed photos with the new 5-‐megapixel camera with built-‐in LED flash. The advanced backside illumina7on sensor captures great pictures even in low light. And the new front-‐facing camera makes it easy to take self-‐portraits.”

Blackberry Torch 9800

iPhone 4


Customer Needs & Benefits


n  Russians: pencil

n  NASA: space pen ($1 M R&D cost)

Example: n  Ability to write in space (zero gravity)

Problem Space vs. Solu7on Space n  Problem Space

n  A customer problem, need, or benefit that the product should address

n  Solu7on Space n  A specific product implementa7on intended to address that benefit


Problem Space vs. Solu7on Space: Product Level

Problem Space (user benefit)

Solu7on Space (product)

TurboTax

TaxCut

Pen and paper

Prepare my taxes

File my taxes

Check my taxes

Maximize deductions

Reduce audit risk


Customer Benefits “Ladders”

Higher-‐level benefit

(more abstract)

Quicken lets me see all my financial accounts in one place

…which lets me easily see how much money I have

…which is faster than if I had to track down all those balances

…which means needing less 7me to manage my finances

Lower-‐level benefit

(more specific)


“Save Time”

Kano Model: User Needs & Sa7sfac7on User Sa7sfac7on

User Dissa7sfac7on

Performance (more is beQer)

Delighter (wow)

Need not met

Need fully met

Must Have

Needs & features migrate over 7me


Target Customer is Cri7cal Variable for Message-‐Market Fit

Target Customer is Cri7cal Variable for Message-‐Market Fit

What is Your Product Value Proposi7on?

n Which user benefits are you providing? n How are you beQer than compe7tors?


Compe&tor A Compe&tor B You

Must Have Benefit 1 Y Y Y

Performance Benefit 1 High Low Med

Performance Benefit 2 Low High Low

Performance Benefit 3 Med Med High

Delighter Benefit 1 Y -‐ -‐

Delighter Benefit 2 -‐ -‐ Y

Posi7oning n  Posi7oning is how you communicate to customers: n What your product/service is n How it’s beQer than others

n  Specifies n What category your product is in n Your target market n The core benefit/value your product provides n Why it’s beQer than compe7ng products (unique differen7ator)


Posi7oning Template

n <Product name> is a <Product category> for <Target market> that <Core benefit> by <Unique differen:ator>.

n Google is a search engine for everyone who uses the internet that helps people quickly find relevant informa7on by having the best algorithms that deliver the fastest and most relevant results.


Messaging n  Posi7oning is important but is not meant for use in customer marke7ng “as is”

n  Messaging: the specific words you use to convey your posi7oning

n  Brainstorm messaging ideas from customer benefits n  Divergent, itera7ve thinking: “Agile for Messaging” n  Write copy. Need different length messages:

n  Tagline n  Sentence n  Paragraph n  Page


Principles of Good Messaging

n Good messages are: n Easy to understand n Focused: 1 or 2 concepts max n Short (less is more) n Clearly convey benefits to customer n Sound differen7ated n Ownable (by you)


Deconstruc7ng the Message


1,000 songs in your pocket

•  large # of songs •  all of your songs

•  portable •  small, light •  can listen anywhere

Storage capacity

5 Gigabytes

Size

4” x 2.4” x 0.78”

What Didn’t Apple Message?

n Easy to Use: Click wheel & screen n Auto-‐Sync n Firewire: 30 7mes faster than USB n BaQery life: 10 hours of listening n Headphones “With iPod, Apple has invented a whole new category of digital music player that lets you put your en7re music collec7on in your pocket and listen to it wherever you go,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again.”


Other Good Messaging Examples n Fly the friendly skies n Zoom zoom n Finger lickin’ good n The happiest place on earth n  Let your fingers do the walking n Eat fresh n Have it your way n Keeps going and going and going


Valida7ng Your Messaging With Customers

(see my slides on “Ramen User Tes7ng”)


Itera7ng Your Messaging Through Qualita7ve Customer Feedback Problem Space

(your mental model) Solu7on Space

(what users can react to)

Customer Feedback

Mockups


Quan7ta7ve Tes7ng n Comparing conversion rates of different messages on n AdWords ads (4-‐Hour Workweek) n Landing pages (Newlix, Smoke test) n Emails

n A/B tes7ng (aka split tes7ng). Tools: n Op7mizely n Unbounce n Visual Website Op7mizer n Google Website Op7mizer



Automated Mul7variate Tes7ng: Google Website Op7mizer

Messaging-‐Market Fit Summary

n Avoid feature-‐speak n Clarify your target market n Understand which benefits your customers care about & apply Kano Model

n Define your value proposi7on & posi7oning n Brainstorm ideas messaging & write copy n Test messaging with customers n  Learn, iterate and improve


Ensuring Message- Market

Fit Dan Olsen

Olsen Solutions

SF PR Summit July 31, 2013

hQp://olsensolu7ons.com hQp://slideshare.net/dan_o @danolsen

Questions?

http://www.slideshare.net/dan_o/presentations

http://olsensolutions.com

https://twitter.com/danolsen

Technology

How to Achieve Messaging-Market Fit by Dan Olsen