Why do so many professional service websites sound vague, technical, interchangeable or oddly difficult to understand?

Professional services are built on trust, and that is partly down to demonstrating expertise. So, why do the people with the know-how so often struggle to demonstrate it?

 

Businesses such as accountants, solicitors, financial advisers, specialist recruiters, consultants, architects and similar professional service providers all, to some extent, sell knowledge, judgement and experience. Their value often sits in the things they notice, the questions they ask, the risks they spot and the advice they give before a client makes an expensive mistake.

They are in the trust business. They say, ‘trust me, I am an expert’.

So why do so many expert businesses struggle to explain what they actually do?

 

The trust element in your copy.

Now, don’t get me wrong on this, a visitor isn’t coming to your site to find ways not to trust you. Why would they? When was the last time you asked Gemini to find you a dodgy accountant that isn’t really very good? So, if you say you are a professional, your visitors will usually believe you.

The problem is that initial trust is generated by a very vague motivation, and that motivation needs to be reinforced so they have confirmation that you are not just any professional, you are 'the right' professional for them.

That should be easy, shouldn’t it? After all, you are an expert.

So, why do so many professional service websites sound vague, technical, interchangeable or oddly difficult to understand?

It is not because the people behind them lack intelligence. Quite the opposite.

In many cases, the problem is that they know too much. That is not a criticism. It is a very human problem and one we probably all suffer from. It is also exactly where better content starts.

 

The curse of knowledge starts earlier than experts realise

Once you know something well, it becomes difficult to imagine what it is like not to know it. That is the basic issue surrounding what we call the curse of knowledge. Most experts understand this when it comes to deep technical detail, but the curse of knowledge often starts much earlier than that.

It starts at the most basic level.

Professionals often assume people already understand what an accountant does, what an architect does, what a solicitor does, what a financial adviser does or what a specialist recruiter does.

But do they really know?

• A business owner may know they “need an accountant”, but not understand the nuances between bookkeeping, accounts preparation, tax advice, management reporting, payroll, VAT, business planning and strategic financial support.
• Someone may realise they “probably need a solicitor” but not understand which type of solicitor.
• A growing company may know they need to “hire someone in finance”, but not understand whether they need a bookkeeper, finance manager, financial controller or finance director. That is where a specialist recruiter’s value begins, so that really needs explaining.

The expert often assumes what they do, and the benefits of their services are obvious. The client, on the other hand, is really only focused on a problem, a worry or a goal.

There is a gap here that the expert is filling by assuming knowledge on the part of the client, and you can’t do that if you want to communicate effectively.

 

A lesson I learned about assuming knowledge

Let me tell you a story about an incident that really happened to me

Some of my background is in scriptwriting because I have a master's degree in the field, and so I taught it for many years. So, when I met a friendly chap at a party and the inevitable question ‘what do you do’ came up, the following scene took place.

EXT: A barbecue in a village garden – Day

People mill around, clutching drinks and chatting amiably in the summer sunshine. We focus on KEVIN (mid 30’s with the noble brow and rugged, northern good looks that instantly mark him as a copywriter. He is handsome beyond reason. A sort of mix between Sean Bean and Hercules*) and BARRY (late 40s and pleasant looking), who are chatting.

BARRY: So, what do you teach at the university, then?

KEVIN: Scriptwriting, and media production, amongst other things.

BARRY: What’s that then?

KEVIN: (puzzled) How do you mean?

BARRY: Like, what is it you do?

Kevin continues to look confused, then suddenly realises what is being asked.

KEVIN: Oh, I see. Well, I plan the course, then deliver the content.

BARRY: No, what is scriptwriting?

KEVIN: You know, screenwriting, writing scripts for television and film. Sometimes radio.

Barry still looks politely confused… and the realisation dawns that Barry doesn’t know what scriptwriting is. Not the teaching of it, the actual thing itself.

KEVIN: You mean you don’t know what scriptwriting is?

BARRY: Yes.

KEVIN: Well, you know when you watch TV, say Eastenders for example? Well, someone writes a script for it. Words for the actors to say and so on. A ‘script’ writer.

Barry digests this information for a moment. Clearly thinking about it for the first time.

BARRY: Yes, I suppose they must. They must do that for films and stuff as well, then, I guess?

KEVIN (shocked): You really haven’t ever thought about that before? How can you not have known that?

And then Barry said something that I have never forgotten and absolutely defines how assuming knowledge, no matter how common you think it is, can backfire.

Barry said

“Why would I know that? I’m an engineer”

While I admit it’s a pretty extreme example, I had fallen into the curse of knowledge trap, and Barry was right. Why would an engineer know something about my area of expertise just because it existed in his world?

 

Experts often explain from their side of the desk

A common mistake in professional services content is explaining from the service outward. Here are a few common examples:

• The accountant starts with the accountancy services they offer, but the client is actually worried about whether they are paying too much tax.
• The solicitor starts with the description of the legal process when the client is really just worried they are in legal trouble.
• The recruiter starts with the job details, but the prospective employer is actually worried that they keep losing new starters in that same role and needs to avoid another bad hire.

The curse of knowledge kicks in, and the professional says ‘here is what I do’ but the client is actually not asking that. They are saying my point of need is this... ‘I know I need help, but I’m not sure who to ask or even what my question is.’

Good content talks to that point of need for the client.

If you simply announce a service at the point of need, you are expecting the process to work backwards. You want the client to take the description of a service and know enough to hit the bullseye and apply it to the problem.

 

Unconscious competence makes important things invisible

Unconscious competence is when you have become so good at something that you no longer consciously notice all the steps involved. You see patterns quickly, you make judgements, you ask the right questions without thinking, and that skill is a huge part of your value.

The problem is that it can also make your expertise harder to communicate.

• A good insolvency practitioner may look at a set of figures and immediately see a cash flow problem.
• A solicitor may notice a badly written clause that will almost certainly cause problems later.
• A financial adviser may spot that someone’s protection arrangements do not match their responsibilities.
• A specialist recruiter may hear a job brief and know straight away why the last appointment failed.

To the professional, all these feel obvious to the professional, but to the client, it is not obvious at all.

This is why experts often skip over one of the most persuasive parts of their work. They talk about what they will do, but not the thinking that motivates it. They mention the service, but not the judgement behind it. They describe what they do, but not why it matters.

Your client doesn’t need every technical detail. In fact, overcomplicating things is another mistake professionals often make. However, they do need enough of the journey details to understand the point of the destination.

 

Jargon is not always the problem. Meaning often is.

There is no issue with experts using professional language. The issue appears when that language creates distance between the business and the person who needs help.

A client is more likely to search for the symptom than the solution.

• They may not search for “employment law support”. They will probably search for “I dismissed someone who was underperforming, and they said they will take me to a tribunal. What should I do?”
• They may not search for “Specialist recruiter for finance leaders”. They may well search for “how do I find a good financial controller?”

Your content needs to bridge that gap.

It should help people move from the question in their head to the service you provide. That does not mean dumbing down your expertise. It means making it accessible, relevant and useful.

 

Knowing something is not the same as explaining it well

There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to transmit that knowledge in a way people want to hear it.

That difference is important.

Many professionals are far too hard on themselves when they find they struggle to write about their own business. They assume that because they understand their subject, they should automatically be able to turn that knowledge into clear, useful, persuasive website content, blogs, LinkedIn posts, guides or emails.

What they forget is that just as they are skilled in what they do, communication is also a skill and one they haven’t been trained in. 

• Driving a car expertly makes you a good driver; it doesn’t make you a mechanic.
• Being able to sing well makes you a singer; it doesn’t make you a sound engineer.
• Knowing what you want to say means you know what to write about; it doesn't automatically make you a writer.

That is not a failing any more than not understanding the ins and outs of tax legislation is a failing in someone who knows they need to pay tax. Why would they?

Content writing involves structure, audience awareness, messaging, tone, clarity, search behaviour, persuasion and timing. It is about knowing communication and meaning, and sometimes what to leave out as much as what to include. These are not skills you will have acquired while you learned to design an extension or rationalise a business cashflow.

So, if you find it difficult to explain what you do, cut yourself some slack.

It is a training and skill issue, not a character flaw.

 

 

Finally, here is one very good reason experts struggle with content:

Here is a good reason why this happens… ready?

It’s not your job.

Your job is to take all of your knowledge, all your hard-learned skills and expertise, all your insight and ability, and help your client.

My job, as The Content Generator, and that of any good content creator, is to turn what you do into clear, searchable, engaging, audience-focused content, so you get the right clients.

We take what you know and shape it into something your audience can understand, and that makes them want to act.

That is not just writing words. It is turning our expertise into strong communication.

Being good at what you do is one thing, and being understood by the people who will benefit from what you do is another. The first one requires your area of expertise, the second one requires mine.

Set up a chat, and let's see if I can help.

 

*Some liberties may have been taken in the accuracy of this description!