Hundreds of times every day, people are silently asking themselves 'so what?' as they are exposed to an onslaught of marketing messages. Here's how you can employ the same phrase to get your prospects to stop and pay attention.

Consumers think differently than marketers

When we're in consumer mode, as opposed to marketer mode, there's a sarcastic voice in the back of our head that filters everything we hear and see. It's a defense mechanism against the avalanche of information we face. That voice also helps us be better marketers as we deliberate our strategies and messaging. We need to deploy our built-in bullshit detectors when we're in marketing mode, because customers do it automatically when someone is trying to sell them something.

1962 ad by Freeman & Gossage for American Petrofina

Some things haven't changed

In the 1960's Howard Gossage said “The real fact of the matter is that nobody reads ads. People read what interests them, and sometimes it's an ad.” This observation is true whether we're talking about an ad, website copy, blog posts, email marketing, or Twitter. The current level of obsession over which medium is the best way to get out the message is remarkable. Yet, the truth is that what's still most important is the message.

Where will ‘so what?’ lead you?

Hopefully it will lead you to identify the real problem you solve for your customers, and what moves them to take action. Here are a couple of things to think about as you peel away layers of product feature babble and marketing jargon with the question 'so what?'

Are you identifying and solving a major pain point for your prospects? If not, then so what?

Are you showing prospects how to realize their dreams? If not, then so what?

Are you allaying the fears that keep prospects from doing business with you? If not, then so what?

Are you showing prospects how to have more freedom in their lives? If not, then so what?

Are you showing prospects how to get more love, more prestige, more money, or more fame? If not...

Get outside yourself

When working on your marketing messages, ask yourself 'so what' over and over, to get to what other people really care about. It'll help you avoid drinking too much of the cool-aid when it comes to your own product or service. Step back for a minute and let that skeptical voice have the floor. It will give you a glimpse of how your customers feel when they hear your pitch, and help you make a genuine connection with them.