Messaging and Positioning Template for Social Impact Leaders
Craft compelling messaging with our template for social impact leaders.
Messaging and Positioning Template: Overcoming Objections Pt1
Overcome objections in your messaging and positioning with our template
Overcome objections using our messaging and positioning template for social impact leaders.
Â
This is part 6 in a series below.
This is a series about building and testing your messaging, positioning, and value proposition
#1 - Messaging & Positioning Template for Social Impact Leaders
#2 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Core Unmet Needs
#3 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Ideal Client Profile
#4 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Differentiator
#5 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Marketplace Category
#6 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Overcoming Objections I (Proof & Use Case)
#7 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Overcoming Objections II (Offers)
#8 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Testing
#9 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Learning from Data
Â
Overcoming Objections
Once you've identified how to help bridge the gap between their desired outcome and current situation, you encounter a new challenge: convincing your audience they can achieve their goal with your guidance.
To overcome this, you can use three powerful tools to enhance understanding and prompt action.
- Social proof: showcase real success stories from satisfied clients
- Use case: illustrate how your solution works in practice
- Offer: make it easy for prospects to succeed
Â
By skillfully applying these tools, you create a compelling positioning and messaging statement that resonates with your audience and encourages them to take the next step in their journey.
At Joyful Ventures, our innovation advisors specialize in helping social impact leaders like you create people-first innovation that maximize your and your organization’s impact.
Social Proof
If you’re offering something compelling, people may naturally be skeptical and think you’re selling snake oil.
However, because you’ve proven your impact, you can build trust by sharing evidence of your work.
This is, of course, going to be an ongoing exercise, where you’re weaving in your credibility throughout your entire buyer journey and marketing materials.
But the goal here is to provide a very powerful snippet of social proof in your original messaging that can encourage your buyers to continue reading.
A) Brainstorm Options
Testimonials, case studies, and statistics act as external validation and enhance confidence that your offer is a sound choice.
Examples include
- case studies or stories that highlight real relevant before and after transformations
- quotes and written or video testimonials
- statistics proving outcome achievement
- video or pictures of customers using and enjoying your product
- showcasing accreditations, awards, or endorsements (not from your buyer’s peers)
Â
B) Rate
Similar to the approach we discussed earlier, I would brainstorm a wide range of proof points and score them based on their likely credibility and uniqueness in a table.
Credibility is greater when:
- others successfully used your solution and dream outcomes relevant to your buyer
- the statement comes from respected individuals and leaders in your target buyer’s field
- qualitative and quantitative support
Â
Circling back to our earlier examples, let's break this down. When you're trying to win over buyers, case studies of real customers nailing their dream outcomes will likely pack more punch than fancy accreditations or nods from third parties who aren't in your buyer's shoes. That said, if those are the only pieces of social proof you have, they're still way better than presenting empty-handed.
C) Design
It’s also important to consider how you communicate these proofs.
For instance, instead of including an entire customer case study in your initial initial message, you might link to it in a phrase like the below.
Using our running example, here’s one hypothetical piece of social proof you can introduce early on.
Social Proof
See how Kaiser Permanente reduced donor churn by 123% in one quarter [Link to case study]. “Strongly recommend — our donors are giving even more than before.” — Chief Development Officer of Kaiser
In your buyer’s industry of community health, Kaiser is a leading, recognizable figure. The quote shows how they achieved the top dream outcome with data and a qualitative statement.
Use Case Statement
Broad claims like "we boost your revenue" or "we bring in more customers" often fall flat because they're too vague, even if that's what customers ultimately want.
These sweeping statements leave folks scratching their heads about what you actually offer and how you do it.
While pinpointing unmet needs and unique solutions helps, there's another trick up your sleeve: the use case. Zero in on one key workflow that leads to their dream outcome and show how you'll overhaul it for the better. (For more on this, revisit our initial discussion on use cases).
This means you’ll double click into the top specific workflow key to their dream outcome that you radically improve.
By taking this approach, you're not just clarifying your value prop - you're beefing up your credibility. It lets you showcase your secret sauce more effectively by demonstrating how it works in the real world and what it actually does for your target audience.
Here’s one formula:
Use Case: [Top workflow actions and goal]. But [limitation of current approach] causes [negative impact]. Now you can [new capability] with [feature or solution] so that you can [benefit].
Â
Here’s a breakdown of what each of these components mean
Component | Definition |
Name of Use Case & Target | This title succinctly specifies the use case and who the use case is relevant for. |
Workflow and Dream Outcome Description | This describes the primary objective that users aim to achieve using current methods. |
Limitation of current approach Negative consequence | This highlights the shortcomings or challenges associated with existing methods and their negative consequences if not addressed. |
New capability Name of feature or offer | This introduces the specific feature or functionality that the solution provides, specifically new set of activities or actions that user can now do with your solution. Make clear how this changes the workflow and directly addresses the limitations stated previously. |
Benefit | This outlines the dream outcome resulting from using the new capability. It is often a direct contrast to the negative consequence you stated earlier next to the limitation |
Â
Example
Here’s the use case statement formula
Use Case: [Top workflow actions and goal]. But [limitation of current approach] causes [negative impact]. Now you can [new capability] with [feature or solution] so that you can [benefit].
Â
Use Case (running example)
Personalized Campaigns for Community Health FundraisersToday, you want to personalize campaigns to donors based on their interests — with the hopes of attracting a thriving community around your mission and reducing donor churn.But to do that, you're bogged down with:
- time-consuming mail merges
- generating countless campaign reports to get your team onboard the next campaign push
Your packed to-do list is splitting at its seams, delaying donor engagement by weeks or even months.With our AI-assisted “Smart Engage” feature:
- Say goodbye to mail merges. Our AI quietly crunches your data to whip up personalized follow-ups and interest-based campaigns, dropping them right into your email marketing system.
- Then, sit back and scan automatically-created reports, showing you the insights behind these new campaigns.
- Once your team signs-off, hit send. Our AI keeps learning from your changes and each response, fine-tuning future messages and campaigns.
With more breathing room in your schedule, you can finally tackle next quarter's strategy without scrambling, while your personalized campaigns quickly bring more donors into your mission's family — doubling retention in just six months.
Example: Bringing it all together
Value Proposition
Core Unmet Need
DonorFamily: Donor engagement system for community health fundraisers who want to personalize campaigns. Grow thriving donor communities and minimize churn — without tedious data segmentation and reporting gymnastics.
Unique differentiator
Our AI crafts personalized campaigns for you, quietly learning from your data, while delivering reports your leadership will love. By tapping into their passions, your campaigns quickly get donors to become part of your mission's family — doubling retention in just six months.
Social Proof
See how Kaiser Permanente reduced donor churn by 123% in one quarter [Link to case study]. “Strongly recommend — our donors are giving even more than before.” — Chief Development Officer of Kaiser
Use Case Statement
Use Case (running example)
Personalized Campaigns for Community Health FundraisersToday, you want to personalize campaigns to donors based on their interests — with the hopes of attracting a thriving community around your mission and reducing donor churn.But to do that, you're bogged down with:
- time-consuming mail merges
- generating countless campaign reports to get your team onboard the next campaign push
Your packed to-do list is splitting at its seams, delaying donor engagement by weeks or even months.With our AI-assisted “Smart Engage” feature:
- Say goodbye to mail merges. Our AI quietly crunches your data to whip up personalized follow-ups and interest-based campaigns, dropping them right into your email marketing system.
- Then, sit back and scan automatically-created reports, showing you the insights behind these new campaigns.
- Once your team signs-off, hit send. Our AI keeps learning from your changes and each response, fine-tuning future messages and campaigns.
With more breathing room in your schedule, you can finally tackle next quarter's strategy without scrambling, while your personalized campaigns quickly bring more donors into your mission's family — doubling retention in just six months.
Next: Overcoming Objections with Offers
Our next section will equip you with another proven method to overcome objections, using offers that address your prospects perceived barriers to succeeding with your solution.
Â
See the next article in the series below
This is a series about building and testing your messaging, positioning, and value proposition
#1 - Messaging & Positioning Template for Social Impact Leaders
#2 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Core Unmet Needs
#3 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Ideal Client Profile
#4 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Differentiator
#5 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Marketplace Category
#6 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Overcoming Objections I (Proof & Use Case)
#7 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Overcoming Objections II (Offers)
#8 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Testing
#9 - Messaging & Positioning Template: Learning from Data
Â
Three Opportunities with Joyful Ventures
• Want a Template? Request one here
• Looking for guidance? Get your free innovation audit
• Want updates? Subscribe below 👇
• Looking for guidance? Get your free innovation audit
• Want updates? Subscribe below 👇
Â
Related Posts
5 Great Questions for Nonprofit Storytelling and Donor Retention
Discover 5 great questions to create impact stories for successful donor retention
Messaging and Positioning Template: Learning From Data
Learn from your data using our lead scoring template, empowering you to refine your messaging and positioning with evidence
Made with Bullet