Practical Sales Training™ > How to connect with your buyer > Usage List
Usage List
A usage list is a short tagline built from a handful of words. It shows a buyer what you offer, or how it works, in the fewest words possible. So there’s nothing left to misread.
Why Does It Work
It works because it strips your offering down to its most basic articulation. When you repeat a pattern across the list, known as anaphora, it becomes even more memorable. So it sticks in the mind.
How Can You Use It
List What Your Offering Does
List what your offering does, in three short words or terms. Something like “People. Payroll. Productivity.” tells a buyer the scope of your offer in three seconds flat. So keep each word doing real work, not just filling space.
List How To Use It
List how to use your offering instead, as a short set of action steps. Words like “Plan. Sort. Optimise.” show the shape of the process without a single sentence of explanation. So pick verbs that map directly onto what the buyer will actually do.
When It Works Best
This works best when three words can carry your whole offering. Software, services and tools with a clear function suit it well. So use it wherever your offer resists a snappy one-line pitch.
When It Becomes Dangerous
It becomes dangerous when three words fail to carry real weight. A vague or generic list tells the buyer nothing. Worse, it makes you sound interchangeable. So only use this when the words themselves do real explaining.
Common Mistakes
Choosing Generic Words
Choosing generic words is the most common mistake I see. Terms like “quality” or “service” could describe literally any business, so they explain nothing. So pick words specific enough that a competitor couldn’t just copy them.
Making The List Too Long
Making the list too long is the second mistake. Once you’re past three or four words, it stops being a usage list. It becomes a paragraph with line breaks. So cut ruthlessly until only the essential words remain.
Usage List – An Example
The Payroll Platform
A payroll platform could use “People. Payroll. Productivity.” to show what it’s used for in three words. Or it could use “Plan. Sort. Optimise.” to show how the process works instead. Either version tells the buyer everything they need in under two seconds.
See Also
