The Message Box is the most effective technique I've found for crafting customer-ready messaging for B2B marketing campaigns. It's about story telling and engaging prospects in a relevant dialog. Successful marketing requires making a personal connection with the prospect and inviting them into a dialog with meaningful messages that align with their buying process. This presentation, based on the mini-guidebook entitled The Message Box, introduces you to the concept, technique, and template. This technique is covered in detail in my book, The Marketing High Ground.

1. How to tell your story with
customer-ready messaging
Introducing the Message Box technique
Mike Gospe
KickStart Alliance
May 22, 2012 www.kickstartall.com

2. The most effective messaging . . .
Is not about you!
It’s about the customer
and the problem they are trying to solve.
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3. What’s our story?
Because nobody likes
to be sold
to, messaging must
have relevance.
Messaging must tell a
story to engage the
prospect so they
respond:
Tell me more!
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4. What do all of these books
have in common?
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5. What makes a good story?
1. Something happens to upset
the status quo, creating
dramatic tension and
provoking an emotional
response
2. Our hero works to restore
balance
3. Ultimately he or she prevails
4. Life returns to normal or
better than normal
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6. What makes a good business story?
1. Engage the persona with a
problem or opportunity they
care about
2. Offer a solution criteria
(thought leadership) on how
the hero can restore
balance
3. Tell how and why your
product/service will help
them prevail. Reinforce
these points
Tell the customer
4. Highlight the value and
rewards they’ll receive from use-case story
using your products or
services
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7. The Message Box is …
 A tool used to tell our story in 1 minute or
less; It’s the conversation starter
• Core values The
• Strategic elements that must be reinforced
consistently in the execution of tactics customer
 The framework from which more detailed is the hero
messaging will flow
of the
The Message Box is not … story, not
 A creative brief the
 Ad copy product!
 Tag lines
 PR headlines
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8. The Message Box:
a tool for telling your story
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10. For more information . . .
For more details on the Message Box
technique, template, and examples, please refer to . . .
The Message Box:
a guidebook on how to tell your story with
customer-ready messaging
* Techniques * Templates *Examples
(http://astore.amazon.com/kickalli-20/detail/1468111051)
See other titles on personas,
positioning statements, and
the role of the campaign manager
at http://astore.amazon.com/kickalli-20
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11. Table of Contents
 The Marketing High Ground
 Mapping Customer Perception
 Introducing the Message Box
 How and Why the Message Box Works
 The Message Box in Action
 Hierarchy of Messaging
 Message Killers
 Tips for Leading the Message Box Exercise
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12. Thank you!
Mike Gospe
KickStart Alliance
mikeg@kickstartall.com
Positioning www.kickstartall.com
Lead Generation
Sales Readiness
Join me on LinkedIn: mikegospe
Follow me on Twitter: mikegospe
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