long it took to get those results (if it wasnt a long time), and the financial implications to the company over the long-term.   So the fourth step is to ask yourself, "What are the results that my solution has produced?" STEP 5 - Explain what makes you different from your competitors.   As a consultant in the corporate world I helped numerous companies assess potential software and service solutions. First we would send out an inquiry, then we would ask the vendors to come in and demo their product or service.   Often we asked the vendor about how they differed from their competition. I was constantly bewildered why the vendor would frequently say, "Im sorry, we dont bad- mouth our competitors." For some reason, they thought that it would make them look bad or underhanded.   As a buyer, we wanted the vendor to differentiate themselves from the other vendors that we were evaluating. We didnt care whether they were bad mouthing anyone; we just wanted to know what was different about their software compared to their competitions product.   You need to communicate your differences!   Prospects are looking for you to communicate your differences. And those differences need to have perceived value to the prospect. They need to be something they care about.   The Big Marketing Message Mistake   The biggest marketing message mistake I see is companies communicating "What-We- Do" instead of "Whats-In-It-For-Me." If these were two radio channels (i.e. WWD vs. WIIFM), which one do you think your prospect would rather hear?   While you are playing WWD on your radio transmitter, your prospect is looking for the WIIFM station. In order for your message to match your market you need to be broadcasting WIIFM.   Another mistake independent professionals make is to think that their credentials or label are part of their marketing message. For instance, people dont care if you are a CMC (Certified Management Consultant), they care about what you can do for them. So being a CMC shouldnt be a part of your marketing message.   Conclusion   Now you have a simple formula for creating an effective marketing message. Your marketing message should be used in all your external communications. It starts with knowing the wants, fears, problems, and needs of your target market and ends by crafting a message that speaks to those problems in a compelling and believable way. The result is