One simple rule for better messaging

Back in 2013, I worked with a biotech startup founded by three machine learning prodigies – still in college – who had built a groundbreaking platform to transform cancer diagnostics. The CTO was just 19 years old. While most college kids were out partying or sleeping through classes, these three were revolutionizing how doctors analyzed biopsy specimens.

As impressive as their platform was, their messaging was a mess. I sat through a whiteboard session where they passionately touted features like “cloud storage of digital files” and “big data analytics.” They’d look at me expectantly, waiting for me to share their enthusiasm, but all I could think was Meh. 

Granted, I wasn’t an expert in cloud storage or big data analytics, but I knew their target buyers – clinicians and pathologists – weren’t either. These were people who spent their days peering through microscopes at tiny little specimens on glass slides. For decades, they’d been doing just fine without cloud storage, thank you very much.

It wasn’t until I started grilling them with questions like, “Why does this matter to clinicians?” and “What does this help them achieve?” that the magic began to surface. 

Their platform enabled doctors to collaborate in real time, leading to faster, more accurate cancer diagnoses. And that “big data analytics” they kept talking about? It could detect patterns in specimens the human eye couldn’t see, helping doctors catch cancers earlier.

The founders’ work was incredible. They were transforming cancer diagnostics, but it had taken me 45 minutes of interrogation to uncover that story. Why? Because they were so bogged down in the technical details that they couldn’t see the bigger picture.

As a PMM, you’ve probably faced this challenge too – working with CEOs, founders, and product teams who are obsessed with the technical details. They live and breathe the inner workings of the product, and their excitement is contagious but often misplaced. 

That’s where your role becomes tricky: transforming all those technical details into messaging that highlights what matters most and resonates with buyers.

So, in this article, I’ll share how you can overcome this challenge by flipping your approach and focusing on the things your audience cares about.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Why inside-out messaging fails and how outside-in thinking connects with buyers
• The VBF rule: a simple framework to structure your messaging effectively
• How to adjust the “altitude” of your message to resonate with your audience
• A three-step process to create clear, compelling product messaging

Let’s dive in!

Inside-out vs. outside-in messaging

When you’re close to a product, you naturally develop an inside-out perspective. You know every feature, every detail, and you can instantly connect the dots to how it unleashes all kinds of awesomeness for customers. 

That’s great for internal understanding, but if you lead with those features in your messaging, it doesn’t translate. Buyers don’t have the context to understand the value, and it puts the burden on them to figure out why your product matters.

I call this inside-out messaging. It’s when you describe your product from your perspective instead of the buyer’s. For example, messaging like “Unlock self-service data analytics” sounds impressive but forces the reader to do all the work. They’re left wondering: “What does that actually mean? What problem does it solve? How does it fit into my day-to-day?”

Now, compare that with outside-in messaging: “Spot patterns, interpret trends, and answer key questions about your data.” This version translates the feature into something meaningful for the buyer, showing how it fits into their life and solves their problems. See the difference? Outside-in messaging makes the value instantly clear.

The VBF rule: A simple framework for effective messaging

Here’s the deal: product messaging isn’t really about your product. It’s about what your buyers can do, be, or feel because of your product. That’s the true power of any solution – it’s what people are actually buying. 

When you shift your mindset to focus on what matters to your buyers, everything changes. Your messaging becomes attention-grabbing, engaging, and memorable.

You can make this mindset shift easily by following one simple rule: the VBF rule. This helps you structure your messaging so it resonates with your audience. “But Emma, what does VBF mean?” I hear you cry. 

It’s simple:

• Value proposition first
• Benefit second
• Feature last

Now, it might sound silly, but marketers often confuse value propositions with benefits or benefits with features. Although these three elements are closely related, each plays a distinct role in your messaging. 

Understanding the differences is key to getting it right, so before we dive into how to apply the VBF rule, let’s clarify what these terms mean. 

Features: Your secret weapon

A feature is something special your product does or has – it’s like a secret weapon hidden inside your product that makes it amazing. Examples include things like real-time editing, reporting, or AI-powered revenue predictions.

In Star Wars terms, the Force is a feature. It’s described as a powerful energy field that binds the galaxy together. If you’ve seen Star Wars, you know the Force is awesome, and you’d love to have it. But if you haven’t seen the movies, hearing that it’s just “a powerful energy field” probably leaves you feeling underwhelmed.

People have the same reaction when you focus only on explaining a feature. It doesn’t immediately communicate why it’s great – unless you also talk about the benefits.

Benefits: The superpowers your product bestows

A benefit is something new your customer can do, be, or feel because of your product. Think of it as the superpower your customer gains. Examples of benefits include reducing manual work and errors or keeping deals from stalling.

Coming back to Star Wars, the Force gives Luke Skywalker incredible superpowers. He can do backflips with a lightsaber, fly a spaceship blindfolded, hit tiny targets with pinpoint accuracy, and even perform an acrobatic routine with Yoda balancing on his foot. 

These are the benefits of the Force – cool, new abilities that make you think, Wow, that’s powerful! Doesn’t Luke’s superpowered skill set sound way more compelling than simply calling the Force “a powerful energy field”? That’s the difference benefits make – they help your audience connect emotionally and see the value in action.

Value propositions: The big win

Finally, we have value propositions. These are the bigger goals or aspirations that multiple benefits align to achieve. A value proposition is the ultimate win your customer wants. Examples include winning clients for life or protecting your data wherever it lives.

Value propositions are essential because they connect the dots between features and meaningful outcomes. This is especially important when selling expensive software or complex solutions. 

In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker’s goal is clear: defeat Darth Vader and bring peace to the galaxy. His backflips, lightsaber antics, and spaceship stunts all serve this higher purpose. If Luke had to convince his boss to invest in the Force, he couldn’t just say, “I’ll be able to do cool backflips.” He’d have to explain how the Force would help him achieve the ultimate goal: defeating Darth Vader.

Putting it all together with VBF

Features, benefits, and value propositions each play a role in your messaging, but the order matters. That’s where the VBF rule comes in.

• V: Start with the value proposition – lead with the big outcome or goal that resonates with your audience.
• B: Follow with the benefits – show the specific superpowers your product unlocks for your customers.
• F: End with the features – explain how your product achieves those benefits.

The VBF rule flips the traditional inside-out approach and puts your customer first. By taking an outside-in approach and leading with the outcomes customers care about most, you grab their attention, draw them in, and let the features take a humble back seat.

The VBF rule in action

Outside of tech, the VBF rule feels pretty intuitive. Let’s imagine you’re marketing a high-end blender. The feature you’re excited about might be its commercial-grade blades. The benefit? Those blades let you whip up vitamin-packed smoothies quickly. And the value proposition? It helps you eat healthier every day.

Using the old inside-out approach, the messaging might look like this:

Now, let’s reorder that messaging using the VBF rule:

Which version grabs your attention most? Unless you’re really into kitchenware, I’m guessing it’s the VBF version. Why? Because it champions you and your goals, while the other one puts the blender front and center.

Applying VBF to tech messaging

Now let’s apply the VBF rule to a tech context, using observability software (used by engineers to monitor the health of their systems and apps) as an example:

• Feature: A dashboard that consolidates performance data.
• Benefit: See your entire stack’s performance in one place.
• Value proposition: Fix issues before end customers even notice.

When the messaging leads with the feature, it might look something like this:

This approach forces the reader to figure out why the dashboard matters, making the message less engaging.

Now compare that to a message structured using the VBF rule. By starting with the outcome engineers want – proactively solving problems – and then moving to the benefit and feature, the messaging becomes far more impactful:

These days, with so many marketing messages competing for attention, VBF is a game-changer. A headline that leads with value grabs attention and immediately communicates why the reader should care.

Finding the right altitude for your messaging

While leading with value is crucial, there’s a trap to watch out for – overhyped, sky-high value propositions. You’ve probably seen them: “Grow your business,” “Drive revenue growth,” and “Increase productivity.”

The problem with these hyper-general claims is that they’re often:

1. Unbelievable: They promise outcomes too far removed from what the product can realistically deliver.
2. Cliché: They sound like every other company’s messaging.
3. Unhelpful: They fail to give buyers anything concrete to grasp.

To avoid going too high-level or getting too technical, you need to think about the altitude of your message. Altitude is a way to measure how broad and high-level versus detailed and specific your message is. 

It’s all about hitting the sweet spot – an altitude that resonates with your customer, feels relevant, and is grounded in what your product can actually do. 

Let’s break it down with an example. Imagine you’re writing messaging for an AI chatbot that candidates can interact with on job sites. Your buyer is a talent acquisition manager.

If your messaging claims that the chatbot will “help you grow your business with the right people in your organization,” you’ve gone too high altitude. Why? Because driving growth and hiring the right people involves so many factors beyond this little chatbot. It’s too far removed from what the product actually does.

On the flip side, if you say the chatbot provides “real-time AI-powered communication with candidates,” you’re too low altitude. That message is going to leave potential buyers wondering why they even need AI-powered communication in the first place.

The sweet spot? A message that’s “just right.” For example: 

This hits the right altitude. It’s specific enough to explain what the chatbot does but also conveys a meaningful value – saving time in the screening process – that the buyer can immediately grasp and believe.

When to adjust your message altitude

The ideal altitude depends on your audience and product. Here are some scenarios where higher-altitude messaging works best:

• Business buyers: Especially if they’re not tech-savvy or experienced with software purchases.
• Emerging technologies: When introducing a new concept or category, higher-level messaging helps explain why it matters.
• Broad solutions or platforms: For companies, platforms, or suites of products, a higher-level, organizational focus is often more effective.

There are also times when lower-altitude messaging is the way to go:

• Technical buyers: Focus on the tangible, specific value that resonates with their expertise.
• Well-understood products: Skip the basics for widely recognized products like CRMs. Instead, highlight what sets your product apart.
• Small features or capabilities: For distinct or well-defined offerings, stick to the technical details that make them stand out.

A simple three-step framework for crafting great messaging

Now that we’ve explored the VBF rule and how to find the right altitude for your product messaging, it’s time to put those ideas into practice. 

This three-step framework builds on the principles of VBF to help you organize your thoughts, uncover the value your product delivers, and ensure your message hits the right tone and altitude. 

Let’s dive in.

Step one: Brainstorm your Vs and Bs

To craft a great message, start by brainstorming your value propositions (Vs) and benefits (Bs). Whether you’re messaging a feature or a product, use the “so what?” game to dig deeper into why it’s great.

Imagine you’re explaining the product or feature to a bored, sassy teenager (maybe you have one at home). Every time you explain something, they respond with “So what?” This forces you to push past surface-level explanations and dig into the true value.

Here’s how it works:

Our sales cadence tool has AI-powered recommendations.

So what? 

You get data-driven insights to make your prospecting more successful.

So what? 

Reps receive step-by-step instructions for better prospecting.

So what? 

They spend less time guessing and more time focusing on what works.

So what? 

Best practices spread across your team.

So what? 

Everyone performs like your best rep.

So what? 

Salespeople sell more.

So what? 

The company hits its sales targets and increases revenue.

Keep playing until you hit the wall and can’t answer “So what?” anymore. By the time you finish, you’ll have a list of the deeper benefits and value propositions your product offers.

Once you have your list, separate it into benefits and value propositions. This can be trickier than it seems because they often feel similar.

Here’s a good rule of thumb:

Step two: Choose the right altitude for your audience

Now comes the hard part: deciding which benefits and value props to include. Let’s be real – marketers never struggle to come up with good things to say about a product. The challenge is narrowing it down to just one or two points. We want to say all the things, but effective messaging requires focus, and this is where altitude comes into play. 

Let’s say your target audience is a Head of Sales. This isn’t their first rodeo – they’ve bought plenty of solutions, they know the game, and honestly, they’re a little tired of hearing the same old pitch again and again. 

If you come in with a high-altitude value proposition like, “This sales cadence platform will help you hit your targets and increase company revenue,” all you’ll get is an eye-roll. It’s too lofty, too removed from reality, and frankly, feels like overpromising.

Instead, you need to lower the altitude. Focus on a message that’s believable and closer to what the product can deliver. For example: “Now, everyone can perform like your best rep.” That’s a message they can buy into – it’s clear, specific, and grounded in a realistic outcome.

Once you’ve nailed your value proposition, it’s time to layer in a benefit that complements it, adding a little detail about how you’ll deliver the value you’ve promised.

For this example, I’d pick a benefit like “Give reps proven step-by-step instructions for prospecting.” It supports the value proposition by showing how the product achieves the desired outcome.

Step three: Write a headline and message with VBF

Now that you’ve chosen your value proposition and benefit, it’s time to bring it all together in a cohesive VBF message. Start with the value proposition as your headline, follow up with the benefit to explain the “how,” and save the feature for last.

Don’t feel like you have to stick to the phrasing you came up with in your brainstorm; you might want to polish it a bit. 

For instance, your final VBF message could look like this:

Conclusion

The VBF framework is a simple yet powerful way to craft focused, impactful messaging. It helps you align with your audience, choose the right altitude, and ensure your message connects. 

While it’s not the only way to write great messaging, it’s an incredibly effective approach. Whether you’re working on a feature, a product, or a campaign, VBF will help you cut through the noise and deliver something your audience can’t ignore.

This article is based on Emma Stratton’s brilliant presentation at the Product Marketing Summit in San Francisco. As a PMA member, you can enjoy the complete recording here.