Posts Tagged ‘Words’
Are Your Words Communicating?
I got a letter in the mail the other day. It included on the envelope the name of a company and a tagline.I am not going to share the company name with you, but here is there rest of the copy.
Syracuse – Albany – Rochester – Ithaca – Vestal
followed on the next line by Sales – Service – Rentals -
followed by the address and then this final tagline -
Servicing the Industry since 1976.
This goes out on all their outgoing mail, I assume. It seems to be intended to hold marketing material, since it also says on the envelope Attn: Purchasing Dept.
Here’s the problem. I have no idea what this company does. It is using generic phrases and words to describe itself, and it thinks that’s marketing. Here’s the other problem. You and I do the exact same thing. We know the story behind our words, so they make sense to us. But do they communicate anything to the person who knows nothing about us? This hearkens back to an article I read recently from Tim Berry, called the Five Words that Won’t Work in an Ad.
Words have nuance. This means while a certain word may say certain things to you, it may say different things to a prospect. Usually, small business owners impregnate words full of meaning. When you say “outstanding service” you know that it means you will come fix a broken pipe at midnight if you have to. But for your prospect, those words are just generic.
Why do you use generic words in your marketing? Two reasons come to mind, and you are not going to like the second one.
First of all, it is an issue of space. We need a tagline that fits on a business card or in our website header. There is nothing wrong with taglines, but if they are not unique and are not tied to a bigger story, they are pretty much worthless.
The second reason you use generic words is because you are lazy. Told you that you wouldn’t like it. But its true. It is just easier to grab an empty word from the shelf than it is to take the time to develop your message. “Quality assured” is easy, small, and it makes sense to you. What your prospect really needs to know is the meaning behind the words. I read this in an ad for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, “My American Handmade Vodka beats the giant “Imports” every day. That’s because I still taste every batch to make sure you get only the very best.” That is so much better than “quality assured.”
Take some time today to think about the words and phrases that you use every day in describing your business. Are they up to the task, or are they way too generic? Can a stranger read those words and know what you are saying? It might even be a good idea to have a stranger look at your marketing materials and give you some feedback.
Choose your words carefully. Make sure they are communicating what you want them to say.
–
Bradford Shimp is the publisher of All Biz Answers. He is also the co-creator of Idea Anglers, a place to see your ideas come to life through collaboration. Follow Bradford on Twitter @bradfordshimp. Bradford provides business services through BradfordShimp.com.
