The Commodity Messaging Trap (And How to Escape It)
Many service-based business owners face the same frustrating challenge: they know they're good at what they do, but when prospects visit their website or read their marketing materials, nothing makes them stand out from everyone else in their field.
The culprit? Generic messaging that sounds exactly like every other business.
If your homepage includes phrases like "quality service," "customer-focused approach," or "proven track record," there’s a good chance you’ve fallen into the commodity messaging trap. And here's why it's so common - and how to escape it.
The restaurant recommendation test
Picture this: When a friend asks for restaurant recommendations, you don't say "quality food, great service." That would be completely unhelpful.
You say "amazing Thai place with the best Pad Thai" or "cozy Italian spot where the owner remembers your name."
Specific beats generic every time.
The same principle applies when teaching someone to build a fire. If you just say "gather some kindling," that's so generic it's almost useless. But tell them to look for birch bark (catches instantly), dry pine needles (burns consistently), or even toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint (works surprisingly well), and suddenly they know exactly what to do.
Here's the thing about business messaging: Your message is your marketing kindling. It's what ignites interest and gets your business growth started. But most businesses are using generic "kindling" language that doesn't actually catch fire with prospects.
Why generic business messaging keeps you invisible
I see this a lot in service-based businesses. Business owners describe what makes them different using phrases like:
"We provide quality service"
"Years of experience"
"Customer-focused approach"
"Personalized attention"
"Proven track record"
Here's the thing. In many ways, it's not your fault. These are often the exact words your happy customers use when describing why they love working with you: "You provide such quality service!" or "I appreciate your customer-focused approach!"
The problem isn't that these things aren't true about your business. The problem is that any other business in your field could make the same claims.
This is like telling someone to "gather kindling" for their fire. Technically correct, but completely unhelpful.
The fill-in-the-blank test for marketing messages
I call this the "fill-in-the-blank" test. If you can insert any business name into your differentiator and it still makes sense, you're not giving people specific enough kindling to ignite their interest.
It's like claiming your fire-building advice is special because you say "use dry wood.” Well, yes, that's what everyone should use.
The "Your mom must be proud" problem
There's another version of this trap I see quite a bit. Business owners list achievements that might impress their mom but don't translate into client value:
"Award-winning team"
"Industry leader for 20 years"
"Certified in six different methodologies"
"Featured in [publication nobody's heard of]"
Don't get me wrong, credentials matter. But unless you connect them to what they actually mean for your clients, they're just kindling that looks impressive but doesn't actually help your marketing fire catch.
How to create specific business messaging that stands out
Think about experienced fire builders. They don't just say "gather kindling.” They get specific. "Look for birch bark because it catches fast even when damp." "Pine needles create steady burn." "Fatwood has natural resin that ignites easily."
The specificity is what makes the advice actually useful.
Your business differentiation should work the same way.
Instead of generic claims, you need specific "kindling" that ignites immediate interest and understanding in your prospects.
The 7-Question framework for finding your points of difference
Take 15 minutes to work through these seven questions. Don't overthink them. Simply write down what comes naturally:
Experience Background: What specific combination of experiences shapes how you work?
Natural Voice/Personality: How do people specifically describe your style or approach?
Unique Perspective: What do you believe differently than most in your field?
Different Approach: What do you specifically do that others don't (or won't)?
Natural Strengths: What comes easily to you that others find challenging?
Client Feedback Patterns: What do clients consistently say about why they chose you or what makes working with you different?
Values-Driven Decisions: What specifically won't you do that others in your field will?
An example of specific business messaging
For example, my message kindling isn't just "marketing strategy." It's that I bring 25+ years of actually running businesses (including P&L responsibility for a nearly $20M company) to marketing conversations.
I understand both the strategy and the operational reality of implementing it as a busy business owner.
Plus, I believe you don't need to be everywhere and do everything. You get more traction tailoring your marketing to your strengths and building from there. That's different from most marketing advice that assumes more is always better.
Your voice as your strongest differentiator
Here's what I've noticed about many service-based businesses: Since you're building a business around your expertise, where you are essentially the product, your authentic voice often becomes your strongest specific kindling.
Think about it. Two consultants might have similar backgrounds, but one has a no-nonsense, direct style while the other brings calm, grounding energy to every conversation. Same expertise, completely different client experience and completely different kindling that ignites interest.
When in doubt about what makes you different, lean into your natural voice and style. No other business can replicate how you show up, communicate, and make people feel. That's specific kindling only you can gather.
Moving from generic to specific: what success looks like
When you complete the 7-question framework, you'll likely notice something interesting: Your real differentiators aren't single things, they're specific combinations.
It's not just your experience or your approach or your personality. It's how those elements blend together to create specific kindling that only you can offer.
That's your the signature of your message. And it's what ignites interest in your specific growth fire, rather than the generic "business fire" everyone else is trying to start.
Without this specificity, you're stuck constantly trying to restart your marketing fire with generic kindling that never quite catches. That's exhausting and leads to burnout.
Test your current business messaging
Want to see how likely your messaging is to connect with your audience? Get the free 5-Second Clarity Scorecard to get an objective assessment of whether your homepage ignites immediate interest or sounds like everyone else in your field.
Sometimes we're so close to our own business that we can't see whether our message kindling is specific enough to catch fire with prospects. A quick external perspective can reveal exactly where you need more specificity to ignite real interest.
Key takeaways: escaping the Commodity Messaging trap
Generic business messaging happens because we use customer praise as marketing language
Apply the "Fill-in-the-Blank Test.” If any business could say it, it's too generic
Get specific about your approach, perspective, and what you do differently
Your authentic voice is often your strongest differentiator in service-based businesses
Specific messaging ignites interest; generic messaging requires constant effort to maintain
Ready to transform your generic messaging into specific kindling that ignites real interest? Start with the 7-question framework above, and see where specificity can make your business stand out.