Stop Talking Like a Corporate Robot and Start Winning More Jobs
I’ve sat down with hundreds of business owners across Brisbane—from electricians in Coorparoo to accounting firms in the CBD— and I see the exact same mistake happening on almost every website.
Under a heading like “Our Values,” they list a bunch of words that mean absolutely nothing to a customer: Integrity, Quality, Excellence, and Professionalism.
Here is the cold, hard truth: Your customers don't care about those words. They expect them. Telling a customer you have "integrity" is like a restaurant telling you their food isn't poisonous. It’s the bare minimum. It doesn't get the phone to ring, and it certainly doesn't justify a higher price tag.
In this guide, we are going to look at how you actually communicate what your business stands for in a way that makes people choose you over the cheap guy down the road. We’ll compare the "Fluff Approach" to the "Proof Approach" so you can see why one wastes your time while the other puts money in the bank.
The Real Cost of Vague Values
When you use generic words to describe your business, you are effectively telling the customer, "I am exactly the same as everyone else." When a customer thinks every business is the same, they make their decision based on one thing only: Price.
If you find yourself constantly fighting over a few hundred dollars on a quote, or if you feel like you’re losing jobs to amateurs who don't know what they're doing, your problem isn't your price. It’s that you haven’t given the customer a reason to value you.
I’ve seen businesses in Morningside double their enquiry rate simply by changing how they talk about their standards. You have to stop looking like an amateur and start showing people why you are the low-risk, high-value option.
Approach 1: The "Fluff" Method (The Money Pit)
Most small businesses fall into this trap. They hire a cheap copywriter or use an AI tool to generate "Brand Values." You end up with a list like this: 1. Innovation: We use the latest tools. 2. Customer Focus: The customer comes first. 3. Reliability: We show up on time.
Why this fails: - It's invisible: Customers have read these words so many times they don't even see them anymore. - It's unproven: Anyone can type the word "reliable." The guy who is going to ghost the customer after two days also says he's reliable on his website. - It's boring: It doesn't tell a story or build trust.
If your marketing looks like this, you are effectively wasting money on your image because it isn't doing the heavy lifting of selling for you. You’re paying for a website that just sits there looking pretty but doesn't actually convince anyone to pick up the phone.
Approach 2: The "Proof" Method (The Results Maker)
This is what we do at Local Marketing Group for our clients who want to grow. Instead of using adjectives (words that describe), we use evidence (facts that prove).
Let’s compare how a Brisbane plumbing business might communicate the value of "Reliability" using both methods:
| Characteristc | The Fluff Method | The Proof Method |
|---|---|---|
| The Claim | "We are the most reliable plumbers in Brisbane." | "If we aren't at your gate by the scheduled time, we take $50 off your bill." |
| The Impact | The customer thinks: "Yeah, sure you are." | The customer thinks: "They must be on time, otherwise they'd go broke." |
| The Result | They keep shopping for a cheaper price. | They call you because they can't afford to wait around all day. |
Data Comparison: Why Proof Wins Every Time
We’ve tracked the numbers on this. When a local service business moves from generic "values" to specific "proof-based claims," we typically see: - 30% increase in phone enquiries: People feel more confident calling. - Higher average job value: Customers are willing to pay more for a sure thing. - Better quality customers: You stop attracting the "price shoppers" and start attracting people who want the job done right.
If you want to know what to actually spend to get these kinds of results, you have to look at your marketing as an investment in trust, not just an expense.
How to Find Your Real Values (The Ones That Make Money)
To get this right, you need to look at your business through your customer’s eyes. What are they actually scared of? - For a tradie, the customer is scared of being ripped off or left with a mess. - For a lawyer, the customer is scared of hidden fees and losing their case. - For a shop owner, the customer is scared of buying something that breaks and being told "too bad."
Your "values" should be the direct antidote to those fears.
Step 1: Identify the Fear
Think about the last three customers who were hesitant to book. What were they worried about? Write it down.Step 2: Create the Proof
If they are worried about mess, your value isn't "Cleanliness." Your value is: "We use drop sheets on every job and vacuum before we leave, or we pay for a professional cleaner to visit your home."Step 3: Put it Everywhere
This shouldn't just be a tiny page on your website. It should be on your quotes, your Facebook page, and it should be the first thing you say when you answer the phone.The "Brisbane Reality" Check
Let's be real. Brisbane is a big city, but it's a small town. Word travels fast. If you claim to value "Community Support" but you've never sponsored a local footy team or helped out a local school, people see through it.
I’ve seen a landscaping business in Chermside try to act like a massive national corporation. Their website was full of stock photos of people in suits. It looked fake. They weren't getting any calls. We changed their strategy to focus on their actual value: "Local blokes who know QLD soil." We put photos of the actual team on the site. Their phone started ringing off the hook. Why? Because people in Brisbane want to deal with real people, not a "brand."
What to Do First
If you want to fix this today, do these three things:
1. Delete the "Core Values" page on your website. If it’s just a list of one-word bullet points, it’s hurting you more than helping you. 2. Pick one thing you do better than anyone else. Is it your speed? Your tidiness? Your fixed pricing? 3. Turn that one thing into a guarantee. Write it in plain English. "We do X, or we give you Y."
Is it Worth the Effort?
You might be thinking, "I'm too busy for this marketing stuff." But here is the reality: you are already paying for your brand strategy. You're paying for it in lost jobs, wasted time on quotes that go nowhere, and the stress of competing with low-ballers.
Investing a few hours into defining how you actually provide value will save you hundreds of hours of frustration over the next year.
Summary of Approaches
| Feature | The "Old School" Way | The "Local Marketing Group" Way |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Jargon and "Corporate-speak" | Plain English and Guarantees |
| Focus | How great the business is | How the customer's life gets easier |
| Evidence | Stock photos and generic claims | Real photos and specific promises |
| Cost | Cheap to write, expensive in lost sales | Takes effort, pays for itself in weeks |
| Timeline | Never works | Works as soon as you hit 'publish' |
Stop Wasting Your Breath
Most business advice tells you to "find your why" or "build a brand story." Forget that. Focus on winning the job today. Tell the customer exactly what they are going to get, prove you can do it, and make it easy for them to say yes.
If you’re tired of being treated like a commodity and want to start winning the high-paying jobs you actually want, we can help. At Local Marketing Group, we don't do fluff. We do results.
Ready to get more phone calls and better customers? Contact us today and let's talk about a strategy that actually works for your Brisbane business.