You have to say what you do

I received this note from a long-time friend of mine about a website he was reviewing:

"I understand being vague, but I have no idea what this Company does. At some point you have to say what you do."

I'll spare you the name of the company, but he's right. Taking a quick look at the "About Us" section of the website doesn't yield much tangible information. It reads:

"[veiled company] is a woman-owned small business that specializes in energy, environment and health. [veiled company] is unique in that it combines diverse technical, economic, and market expertise with strong capabilities in information technology, communications, and outreach. This enables [veiled company]to provide its clients with value-added products. We anticipate our clients’ needs and deliver solutions that set them apart."

If you told me this in person, you'd get a blank stare in return. "What are you trying to tell me?!?" I'd yell, as I shake you violently by the shoulders...

That description is a lot of fluff. It's a lot of words, put together in a language that says absolutely nothing.

Are you a restaurant that anticipates my order due to your technology? Are you a freight company that gets my product to my customer quickly with economies of scale? Bottom line, if another company can say what you just said, you're not being specific enough.

More than ever, prospects are seeking transparency. They want to quickly know what you do, and how it benefits them.

So give it to them. It's what they want. Don't make them jump through hoops. Remove the barriers to retrieving information about your company. Remove the phone trees and the contact forms that make it difficult to get in touch with you.

Your introduction to prospects should be short and sweet. It should remind you of the introduction to an AA meeting.

Hello everyone, my name is Ryan, and I'm a marketing and design consultant. What do you do?