The power of saying something — Kelford Labs Daily

If you were looking to hire a service provider for something, which referral statement is more compelling to you?

“They do good work.”

Or:

“They never miss a deadline.”

I mean, if you compare these sentences against one another, it seems like “They do good work” should be more interesting. It’s broader, it captures more, and it says the thing you want to hear.

And yet...

“They never miss a deadline” is way more forceful, way more qualifying.

Because it’s specific. Because it’s real.

What does good even mean? Conversely, you know exactly what a deadline means and you know what it means to miss or hit one.

So think about this: How are you talking about your own business, your own services or products?

Do you describe them as “good” or something like it? An unqualified, positive statement of something you want people to believe?

Or do you describe them specifically, with qualified, focused phrases about what you actually do and how you’re able to do it?

I’ve worked on hundreds of websites for clients and partners over the years, from small, off-the-shelf portfolio sites for independent consultants all the way up to multi-million-dollar builds for world-famous brands.

And here’s what I learned:

If you lined up three websites and the first two said, “We’re the very best,” and the third one simply said, “We provide same-day estimates,” the third one would perform better.

Not because “Same-day estimation” is better than being the best, but because no one believes you when you say you’re the best.

Because everyone says that.

But not everyone is specific. Not everyone tells you what they actually do. Not everyone has the guts to make a single declarative sentence about how they work and why it helps.

But you do, right?

So let me ask you this: What’s one single, true statement you can make about your business that your nearest competitors or peers can’t or don’t?

And how can you start saying it?

Reply to this email to tell me what you think, or ask any questions!

Kelford Inc. shows experts the way to always knowing what to say.