The big event is about to begin. Your banners are proudly displayed at the doors. Your pamphlets are on the table and you're excited about winning new business. 

What's on that banner of yours?

A surprising number of business owners fall prey to a simple error: they use photos of their own offices in the visuals. Running a security company? They will show the guards. Running a call-centre? They will show rows of people answering phones. 

So what's wrong with that?

It depicts the delivery mechanism, not the desired results. It's like selling the box that the solution comes in, rather than the solution itself. People buying security are buying peace-of-mind for their family, not a bunch of guards. People buying the services of a call-centre are buying 'the ability to expand and grow,' not the actual adolescents on call. 

A better approach is to show the desired outcome of your target market. And if visuals fail you to this end, how about a strong branded poster with a compelling tagline instead, a tagline oriented around the consumer's goals? 

As with everything in our marketing mix, it's not really about how we do what we do. It's about what they get out of it, and who they are able to be as a result.

Depict the right thing - not your office's tables and chairs - and you could become formidable.  

Douglas Kruger is the author of two books on expert positioning, two on innovation, and several more. He is an international keynote speaker on the business circuit. To book him as the motivational speaker for your next leadership conference or event, visit www.douglaskruger.com .