Apropos of the “holes-not-drills” example (focusing on customer goals), I liked this bit of advice from CopyHackers.com. It meshes exactly with what I say about Instagram, Paper, and other apps making people look cool and even feel loved. And it reminds me of the coarse but candid promise I heard back when my team was building the Gucci.com Web site: “This shirt will get you laid.”

You are not selling a product…

…You are selling every visitor to your site the chance to see a better reflection in the mirror.

Don’t believe me?

• Apple isn’t selling me an iPod. They’re selling me a happier, cooler version of myself.
• SalesForce isn’t selling me a CRM. They’re selling me a more organized, more professional version of myself. They’re selling me a future of profiting from well-managed relationships, which is what I want.
• DonorsChoose isn’t “selling” me a way to support schools. They’re selling me a more giving, more community-minded version of myself. They’re selling me the chance to influence the next generation, which is what I want.

What aspiration does your product address?