Claim + Proof

As I’ve been learning more about how to position myself as a professional and market my business, there’s a voice that I’ve really learned to trust: Billy Broas. The one-liner he emphasizes in his book ‘Simple Marketing For Smart People’ is “What does your customer need to believe in order to buy?”

Billy says it’s all about crafting an argument. Rather than trying to convince someone to get something they aren’t clear that they need, the way you market is meant to educate people on the new perspectives that are relevant to them. Getting them to see that what you do is the right solution for their problem.

Any good argument has two elements: A claim for what you’re arguing is true and proof to suggest that it’s true. In its own way, a good argument presents a new idea that someone else should consider and gives them a bunch of good reasons for why they should believe it. 

Here are a few examples.

Claim - You should wear your seatbelt.

Proof - Just look at all of the studies that suggest how effective it is at reducing injury and mortality rates. Plus it takes seconds and little effort to do.

Claim - The single best predictor for your happiness in life is the quality of your marriage

Proof - Think about the happiest person you know, what’s the quality of their marriage? The person you spend the most time with in life is your partner, so it’s reasonable to believe they have the most influence on your happiness. Plus your finances and life plans are shared, if you have a supportive partner then your needs are met and you have the freedom to do things you enjoy. 

As you can tell, this doesn't just apply for business. This is about how to be persuasive in any capacity. You need to clearly tell people what you’re suggesting to be true and provide evidence that supports the claim. 

As I see it, the more effectively we can communicate, the more influence we’ll have and the more we can change the world! So making a good argument absolutely should be a skill that you get good at.

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