Bar Test

Validate positioning language by role-playing two target customers having drinks—if you wouldn't say it out loud, rewrite it

Arielle Jackson
The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)

Bar Test

"One of the really big pitfalls I see, especially for B2B companies, but really for everyone is they write in a way that people don't talk... 'leverages' and 'empowers' and nobody talks like that." - Arielle Jackson

What It Is

The Bar Test is a simple validation exercise for marketing copy and positioning language. You pretend to be someone in your target audience, having drinks with another person in your target, and you have to actually say your positioning out loud in that conversation.

If it sounds like something real people would say to each other, your copy is ready. If it sounds awkward, corporate, or unnatural, rewrite it until it passes.

How It Works

The Setup

  1. Choose two people from your target audience

    • Not generic humans—people who fit your model persona
    • Example: Two tech-savvy dads at a BBQ, two VP of Sales at a conference happy hour

  2. Set the scene

    • They're having drinks
    • The conversation naturally turns to products/tools they've been using
    • One just started using your product

  3. Role-play the conversation out loud

The Script

Person A: "Hey, I just started using [product name]. It's this really great [category] that [benefit]."

Person B: "Hm, tell me more" OR "That's cool, what do you mean?" OR similar prompt

Person A: "[Differentiator statement]"

The Test

Ask yourself:

  • Would Person A actually say this sentence?
  • Does it sound like how people talk?
  • Would Person B understand it without follow-up questions?
  • Is there jargon that would need explaining?

How to Apply It

Step 1: Write Your First Draft

Complete your positioning statement or homepage copy using the Four-Part Positioning Statement template.

Step 2: Read It Out Loud

Actually speak it. Don't just read it silently.

Step 3: Identify Clunky Language

Flag words like:

  • "Leverages"
  • "Empowers"
  • "End-to-end"
  • "Holistic"
  • "Seamlessly"
  • Any industry jargon your customer wouldn't use

Step 4: Rewrite Until Natural

Replace each flagged word with what a person would actually say.

Example: Square Stand

Good (passes Bar Test):

"I just got the Square Stand. It's this really cool new register that turns my iPad into a point of sale."

Bad (fails Bar Test):

"I'm leveraging Square Stand, an innovative point-of-sale solution that empowers merchants to seamlessly integrate their iPad into their payment workflow."

Both convey the same information. Only one sounds human.

When to Use It

  • After writing positioning statements
  • Before finalizing homepage copy
  • When reviewing ad copy
  • When creating sales scripts
  • When writing product descriptions
  • Anytime you're translating internal language into customer-facing copy

Common Pitfalls

Testing with the wrong audience

  • If your target is enterprise IT buyers, test with enterprise IT buyers
  • Two startup founders might say things enterprise buyers never would

Forgetting the context

  • Bar conversation, not boardroom presentation
  • Drinks with friends, not sales pitch to strangers

Not actually saying it out loud

  • Reading silently hides awkward phrasing
  • You have to hear it to know if it works

Why It Works

The Bar Test forces human language because:

  1. People don't speak corporate - In casual conversation, no one "leverages solutions"

  2. Word of mouth requires speakability - If customers can't say it, they won't spread it

  3. Understanding requires simplicity - If Person B needs clarification, the message is too complex

  4. Memorability requires naturalness - Natural phrases stick; corporate phrases don't

Source

  • Guest: Arielle Jackson
  • Episode: "The art of building legendary brands | Arielle Jackson (Google, Square, First Round Capital)"
  • Key Discussion: (00:59:28 - 01:01:07) - Explaining the Bar Test
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

Back to Communication