You've likely heard the popular quote attributed to Henry Ford: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."
Many marketers use it as a cautionary tale about the limitations of customer input in innovation but I like to use it to show the importance of using our customer's language.
Let's first go back in history.
The original use of the word Horsepower (hp) was introduced by James Watt, a Scottish engineer to compare the power of steam engines to horses.
When attempting to sell his newly invented steam engine in the 1770s, Watt realised that many of his customers didn't understand the new technology, as a way to bridge the gap he used the measurement horsepower to communicate the capabilities of his steam engines in a way that was easily understood by potential buyers, many of whom were accustomed to using horses for various tasks.
He set out to measure the power delivered by a horse and compare the power output of his engines (one horse raising 33,000 pounds of water one foot in the air from the bottom of a 1,000ft well in one minute).
By using the term "horsepower," Watt effectively translated the innovative technology of steam engines into a relatable concept, making it more accessible and appealing to his audience.
Today, we continue to use horsepower as a unit of measurement for engine power, and it serves as a reminder of the importance of connecting with our audience by using language that resonates with their experiences and expectations.
In the case of Henry Ford, the term "horsepower" provided a bridge between the familiarity of horse-drawn transportation and the exciting possibilities of the automobile—a connection that played a vital role in the success of Ford's revolutionary product.
Sadly, much of product marketing language is full of words that the company thinks customers get excited about but in reality, they don't - (that's right no one cares about “increase efficiencies” and “all-in-one-platforms”).
They try pushing their way into their customer's conversations, talking about themselves trying to impress them rather than understanding them.
Mirror messaging is a communication technique that involves reflecting or echoing the language, tone, and sentiments of the person or audience you're interacting with.
This technique establishes rapport, builds trust, and improves overall communication by making the other person feel understood and valued.
So How do you Identify Your Customers' Language
Street Level:
Top of the list is for you to Research your audience: This will help you find what I call Street Level language by observing your customers.
Review customer feedback: Analyze customer reviews, testimonials, and feedback to gather insights into the language your customers use when discussing your product or service.
Send out surveys, read the comments, and social media interactions. Listen to sales calls.
Take note of commonly used phrases, jargon, and expressions. How do they describe their pain points, needs, and desires?
Understand the deeper meaning behind customer requests
When customers express their needs or desires, it's essential to dig deeper and identify the core problem they're trying to solve. For example, if a customer asks for a faster horse, they're communicating a need for more efficient transportation.
Top Tip: Don't just ask your customers to email you a testimonial. People's communication changes when they're asked to write. Rather record what they say and the stories they tell - those conversations are priceless.
Oatly took out a whole ad because of one customer review and was able to help potential customers overcome that initial objection of "What does it taste like?" with humour.
Now that you have samples of their language you can't just paste it on your website.
The next step is to translate your customers' language to bridge the gap between what you want to say and what they want to hear.
Love Language:
Love language is all about choosing the right words that reflect what your customers are saying.
Key components of mirror messaging include:
Reflecting language: Using the same words, phrases, or jargon that your audience uses in their own communication.
Matching tone and style: Adapting your tone and writing style to align with the preferences of your audience.
Emphasizing shared values and interests: Highlighting commonalities in values, goals, and experiences to create a sense of connection and understanding. Find their common problems and pain points, desired outcomes, and gains.
Sharing your communication on the right platforms
Bumble's ads outside Taylor Swift's Eras Concert in Toronto echoed song lyrics they knew the Swifties would instantly identify with.
One really good thing about mirror messaging is how we can use our customers language to describe problems by reflecting how hard their situation is and how it makes them feel right back at them.
When you describe an annoying situation in terms of the emotions it evokes, you’re jogging people’s memories and taking them back to that moment and the sensations they experienced.
You’re making them feel something.
Take for example The Migraine Trust's ad - anyone who's experienced "gut-wrenching and room spinning." migraines would find it uncomfortable but relatable reading.
Like, when you say you’re not organized, what does that look like? How does it feel?
When I do this exercise with teams, they come up with all this stuff, and I can see that they’re surprised by all the emotion that comes out. It’s awesome.
And I’ll ask them “How much of this is in your messaging at the moment?” And usually, the answer is “None of it.” So I say, “You’ve got to start bringing this into your messaging because this is good stuff.”
It’s real. It makes you stand out, and it helps you connect with people.
You want your messaging to show that you get them because if you get them - then you can help them.
You can use their language to fill in any gaps in your product or service. A lot of Semrush's customers' testimonials spoke about the importance of keeping an eye on their competitors. Semrush purposely highlighted those key points in their landing page.
Effective corporate communication should connect the dots between what you know, what you offer, and more importantly, what people want to know and how you can help them.
In Ford's case, his marketing messaging focused on how automobiles offered faster, more convenient transportation—a significant benefit for potential customers.
Using your customers' words makes your communication easily relatable. Once you have it your goal is to help them see themselves reflected in your messaging.
Did you find this issue helpful? Want your team to find their own A-ha moments? — forward this edition of Why Our Words Work! with an open invitation to subscribe