Yo! Reader!!

What’s the gutsiest thing you ever did?

Me? Mighta been that time I got on stage in front of the entire company and told them our CEO's approach to storytelling was wrong (but not before singing parts of 8 songs in front of 500 people just to grab attention). Side note -- if you wanna see that, reply, and I'll shoot you a link.

But I digress...

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There’s a truism in messaging (and marketing) that far too many don’t recognize.

In messaging (and marketing), the worst thing that could happen is literally nothing.

Think about it. If you put a message out to the world and it falls flat, what happens?

Crickets.

No action.

No impact.

Nothing.

You’ve literally reached no one with your message.

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"But, Zach! What if I offend someone?!"

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Well, fine friend, that can be a good thing—but more on that another week.

It all means that in messaging (and marketing) it pays to be different.

• To take calulated risks
• To break patterns
• To have guts.

This is true for everyone, but especially true when you're selling a commodity...OR what your buyers perceive as a commodity.

The only way to stand out when everything else sounds the same is with what you say and how you say it.

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For example, take the MSP market.

MSPs -- that's Managed Service Providers for the cool kids -- are IT service shops. Think IT help desk. cybersecurity, data protection...you get the drift.

While, sure, some MSPs specialize in specific areas, the reality is that ALL MSPs are the same. If your business is looking for someone to handle all things IT (or supplement your existing IT team), you're likely going with one of two things:

1. The MSP that's the cheapest
2. The MSP that seems the least risky.

Outside of the fact that you always get what you pay for, there's one thing that makes all this hard.

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Pretty much every MSP website looks and sounds the same.

That's the challenge one of my Sounding Board Product Marketing Advisory clients had.

Continuous Networks is an MSP.

They sell the same services as countless MSPs, all of which say the same things:

• Our people set us apart.
• We have a proven track record of success.
• We focus on your IT so you can focus on your business.

Of course, all that is true...but when everyone says it, all that is also meaningless. 🙄

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Thing is, these founders had one thing most others in their space don't have.

The guts to try something remarkably different.

How different? Continuous no longer sells IT services. They serve up tasty tacos.

Of course, those tasty tacos map back perfectly to their offerings.

Check it out:

This was not haphazard. It was done with intent. It started like this:

First, we did a product mapping exercise:

Tasty tacos are constructed with five key ingredients in mind.

Miss any one, and that taco won’t be as tasty as it could be.

• The Tortilla (The wrap - What do we do that wraps around everything.)
• Protein (Substance - Capabilities - The things our customer want.)
• Veggies (Healthy stuff - Things that add value or keep things running.)
• Cheese (The bind that holds it together - What do we offer that keeps things on track.)
• Sauce (Flavor that makes it tasty - Things that deliver unexpected delight.)

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Next we applied this to core messaging:

Continuous is nacho average IT company.

We serve up Tasty Tacos. What could that mean for you?

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We tested the approach on a small scale...

We tested the message and its activation at a small healthcare conference:

• Banner messaging: Tacos
• Booth attire: Tacos
• Giveaways: Tacos
• Talk tracks: Tacos
• Everything: Tacos

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And that BLEW UP in a hugely positive way.

We knew we were onto something special, when -- without sponsioring anything -- Continuous was the talk of the show.

Continuous' co-founders and marketing manager now had guts AND proof it could work.

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So we went all in.

Here's what all in looks like: https://www.continuous.net​

​Check out their LinkedIn, too, and see how they've applied this core messaging approach to everything they do.

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Now you might be thinking, " Ok, Zach. This is really cool, but I don't sell IT services."

That's OK! This approach can apply to ANYTHING.

It works best when you're in a crowded market and everyone sounds the same.

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Here's how to apply the learnings here to your own messaging:

1.) Get to the essence of what you sell.

Know the foundational elements of what it is, what it does, and why it matters.

If you don't have the workbook on this, get it here: https://zachmessler.com/get-my-message-clear/​

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2.) Identify how you want to be perceived and what you want to be known for.

For Continuous, that was Customer Delight.

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3.) Find things you connect with that could map back to that position, then choose ONE.

You're gonna be talking about this thing incessantly for a looong time, so choose something you love.

Continuous chose tasty tacos because, well...their founders LOVE tacos.

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4.) Map your offering and attributes to the attributes of that thing.

This is an exercise where you first identify all the components of each, then find their similarities

(See more details here: https://www.continuous.net/what-do-tacos-have-to-do-with-it)

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5.) Come up with messaging that stands out.

For example, here's the initial messaging thought that drove this entire experiment:

What the hell are tasty tacos?

A unit of currency is a taco.

A unit of friendship is a taco.

A favor is a taco.

A win is a taco.

Tasty tacos are more.

Tasty tacos are getting what you want.

In the world of IT, that’s:

• Not IT support. It’s business outcomes.
• It’s not what you have to do. It’s what you want to achieve.
• It’s not a cost center. It’s a source for more profits.
• It’s not a bad taste in your mouth. It’s a tasty taco.

Get it?

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6.) Test it all on a small scale first.

Continuous did this at that tradeshow.

You could do it with a simple landing page and a small Google Ads investment to drive traffic...an email to your list...a post or two on the socials.

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7.) When it works, apply it EVERYWHERE.

That means your:

• ads
• emails
• website
• signature
• talk tracks
• sales calls
• campaigns
• conferences
• social media
• And so on and so on

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8.) Have the guts to stick with it.

Look, I get it. This approach is different.

It’s gutsy.

Feels risky.

But remember that bit from earlier? The worst thing that can happen in messaging is LITERALLY NOTHING.

And when you’re in a crowded market where everyone sounds the same, nothing is exactly what you’ll get if you don’t take that risk.

So have the guts to be different. Because in the end, that’s what’s gonna make your audience say, “Ohmigosh! I gotta know more about this!”

And THAT, my friend, is how you start attracting more buyers and selling more stuff.

🤘👊💥😎

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Wanna take your messaging from meh to memorable?

Here are two ways I can help you:

The Message Clarity Workshop

Dive deep and create a messaging foundation that'll make your audience think "Holy guacamole!" (sorry...couldn't help myself) 😜

The Message Clarity Workshop is a one-day intensive where, together, we'll:

• Craft your unique positioning
• Develop a compelling narrative
• And create crisp, repeatable messages you can use everywhere.

Learn more, and sign up here: https://zachmessler.com/message-clarity-workshop​

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Not ready to go all-in?

Coming Soon - One-Liners that Kill

Not ready to go all-in on the full Message Clarity Workshop? I'm cookin' up something that'll still get your messaging mojo flowin'.

Join me for a half-day group intensive where you'll craft that killer one-liner that gets your people to lean in and say, "Tell me more!"

In just a few hours, you'll nail:

• What your product actually is (beyond the obvious stuff)
• What it really does (in a way that grabs attention)
• Why it matters (so much that people can't look away)

You'll walk away with a killer narrative and razor-sharp brand, product, and sales messages you can use anywhere. BOOM!

This is perfect for founders, coaches, and entrepreneurs who are sick of seeing eyes glaze over when they talk about their kick-ass ideas.

Wanna be first in line when this thing drops? Hit reply and say "I'm ready to kill it!"

Spots will be super-limited so I can give everyone my personal, no-BS feedback.

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Remember, no matter what you sell, the secret sauce is in your message.

Happy Sunday, friend!

Catch you soon! Zach _____________ zachmessler.com 🤘👊💥😎 ​

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