After each loss, you sit down and think about what was said and how your price compared. There's a nagging thought at the back of your mind that you are not selling the benefits of your service well enough.

So what could your competitors be doing better that continually tips the scales in their favour?

Here are two strong possibilities to get you thinking:

(a)What if your competitors see their target market as people who are desperately seeking an answer to a major problem?

(b)What if they have identified a range of typical problems their business solve and have an impressive range of case studies to build a strong argument for their services?

In addition to that, your competitors? marketing materials are likely to be lively and interesting. Their capability brochure probably starts with a list of questions their prospects might have about their building services. And they never fall into the trap of talking processes or using industry jargon instead of concentrating on the benefits their unique service offers.

After examining your marketing materials, you decide they need work. Being the canny businessman you are, you know that putting the material together yourself before hiring a professional to add the final polish is always the best way forward.

But for business owners who haven't attempted such an exercise before, here are a few hints and tips to get you going.

The main thing to remember is you're not trying to create perfect marketing materials; you're simply trying to write something about how you can help prospects get what they need.

Keep it simple, direct and personal. Use your own experiences for inspiration. Once you're happy with the overall message, a professional writer will add the necessary polish.

?Start with a list of the main topics you want to cover
?Don't worry where you start, just start
?It's going to take several drafts so be prepared to put in quality time
?Write fast but don't get hung up on making it perfect
?If writing is too hard, try dictating into a tape recorder
?Writing too much is good (you can always shorten it later)
?Don't show it to anyone until you have done at least three drafts
?First, show it to someone who'll be kind
?Then show it to someone who'll be brutal
?Take their feedback and change the text where necessary

Once done, you're ready to pass the project over to the professionals for completion.