George Bernard Shaw once said: “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Man, how often have I experienced this one! I certainly won’t pretend I’ve never missed the communication boat with my wife—completely failing to read beneath the waters of her words.
We human beings sure do talk a lot (and few more than me) but we often leave our true thoughts just below the surface of our words, hoping our audience will read between the lines, pick up our non-verbal cues, and get what we ‘really mean.’
And we do the same thing in marketing. We think we need to beat around the bush and shy away from directness. Throw out some catchy phrases and the ubiquitous ‘offer’ (and make sure to add an asterisk!).
But most-times being direct and up-front is exactly what our audience needs to take the next step. They want to know we’re not pulling a fast one or throwing a curveball. And they certainly want to understand what the heck we’re yammering on about.
So give it to them straight. Don’t hide behind fancy technical terms and industry mumbo-jumbo. Don’t dig a moat around your business, filling it with legal fine-print.
Honestly, just be yourself. Your clients and customers will love you all the more for it.
