Date: 8/8/2003
Understanding the power of words
By Lesley Ann Marston, Freelance Writer
© Copyright 2003
Are the words you use to promote your business sending out
a clear message? Put another way, are you saying what you mean
and meaning what you say? Confused? Well, why not start with
a clean page and consider these important points when choosing
and using words to promote your business?
First words
What are your first words? No, not 'dada' or 'mama', what are
the first words your customers and prospects will see, read
or hear about your business? Often, words like 'I', 'us' or
'we' are in there along with a couple of 'ours', 'me' and 'mine'.
In addition there's likely to be, 'best', 'better', 'quality',
'mission', 'deliver', 'exciting', 'striving', 'announcing' or
maybe even 'spectacular', 'marvellous' or 'new'; there might
be the occasional 'you' or 'yours'? Ideally, the focus of the
words should be directed towards the customer rather than your
organisation or staff. Furthermore, any 'features' of your organisation
that are worth trumpeting, should be backed up by an explanation
of how this feature can 'benefit' the potential customer. It
is worth looking at your promotional material and considering
if a potential customer is left asking the question, 'OK, YOU'RE
great, but, what can you do for ME?'. More often than not, a
phrase that includes a 'we' can be re-written as a, more welcoming,
phrase that includes 'you'. For example, "We make the most
durable widgets in the world" could be changed to "You
will be able to rely on our widgets, they are the most durable
widgets in the world".
Choosing your words
Before you decide on which genre to use to communicate your
business message it is vital to understand the power within
the words you choose: so please choose carefully, or better
still get a professional to do it for you. A professional copywriter
will provide examples for you and gently guide you to think
clearly about what you are trying to say. A professional could
also prevent you from making an awful mistake like this one,
seen in a magazine promoting healthy eating, "If your children
don't like raw carrots why not boil them for twenty minutes
first", oh dear.
Information or Action
When we communicate using the written or spoken word we can
also choose the response that we want. For example by using
words which educate and inform the writer knows that his words
will benefit the reader; and may indeed enrich their life in
some way. In contrast by using words which stimulate thought,
inspire creativity and transform passivity into action we can
begin to see just how powerful words can be.
Your customers
If you could ask your customers, which words do you think they
would choose to describe your business? Would they use words
like, knowledgeable, approachable, friendly, professional, reliable
or would they choose vague, uninterested, indifferent, forgetful
or just plain boring? Would the words they choose convey the
message that they feel cared for and cared about? If you do
not yet have a customer base, you can use this exercise to explore
your future word investment.
Lesley Ann Marston
Freelance Writer
Further Information
For more information on how to get the best from the words
you are using send an email to the writer at: lesley@lesleyann.f9.co.uk
with 'word enquiry' as the subject.
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