Being too clever can make value a tough sell

When I put together ShopTheHood.com I decided to include quite a few features that I thought were pretty nice perks, especially given the pricing I put on it. Perhaps they were. The problem was, I'm an elevator speech kind of salesperson. I tend to do business directly with other small business owners who I know are also very busy and pressed for time. As a result, I've tried to devise marketing products that I can explain in a couple of minutes. This one didn't fit the bill. When I did try to explain it, it just sounded cumbersome and probably a bit confusing. Someone used to doing longer presentations may have made it work, but that's just not my wheelhouse.

So, I went back and tweaked the deal. (here's the new Advertiser Info page) The concept remains the same. The terms are simplified and the pricing even came down a bit. The important thing is, it's a value I can explain in a manner that makes sense for me and for the prospective customer.

Lesson learned? Make sure your value proposition is tailored, not only to your customers needs, but to your strengths as well.