Back in my earlier start-up days, the principal VC who was funding our family business impressed on me to make sure we could clearly and succinctly articulate the reason why someone or some company would buy our product. He called it--wait for it--"the compelling reason to purchase."
Fleshing that concept out further, I think there are fundamentally 4 questions that, as marketers, we need to be able to answer on the spot when faced with a prospective customer:
1. What, of all the problems that I have, are you saying you can help me solve?
2. Why is it worth it to me to solve that problem now?
3. Why should I choose you to solve that problem for me?
4. When I solve that problem what will be different and better than what I am doing now?
Just 4 questions--but they go to the heart of how you message, position, price, package--you name it--if you can answer those 4 things, you have a compelling reason for them to purchase your solution. Anything less--if you can only do 3 of them for instance, or maybe 2 1/2, you're stuck in a "no decision" sales cycle that will go on and on, or you'll get dragged down into a pricing battle with an inferior solution. Happens every time.
What's the compelling reason to purchase YOUR product? Figure it out, and ride the answer to success in all of your marketing.