3 Things You Should Never Say In Your Marketing (That I Can Guarantee You’ve Already Said)
Yes, it’s true…there are certain phrases that, if used in your marketing, will guarantee that your results will be terrible, and yes—I do guarantee that you are using them right now – on your website, brochure, and other marketing materials.
In this article, I’m going to give you 3 evaluations to use on your marketing material right now so you can see for yourself if you’re using one of these forbidden phrases. But, before I give you the evaluations, let me ask you a few simple but important questions.
- Do you feel like you’re not sure what to say on your website and other marketing materials to elicit action?
- Do you always feel forced into a price-competitive situation in your industry?
- Do your advertising campaigns produce mediocre or poor results?
If so, pay close attention to what I’m about to show you because I’m about to explain the biggest reason for these problems.
So here’s the deal – the 3 forbidden phrases that you should never use in advertising are phrases or statements that include platitudes.
Now, let me give you the definition of a platitude. A platitude is defined as “words or phrases that are drearily commonplace and predictable that lack power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition, that nevertheless are stated as though they were original or significant.”
Platitudes are such words and phrases as:
- highest quality
- biggest selection
- largest inventory
- best service
- been in business since 1776 BC
- family owned
- gets the job done right the first time
- residential and commercial
- free estimates
- locally owned and operated
- #1 in satisfaction
- we’re better
- why pay more
- lowest prices
- we care
- conveniently located
- professional, etc.
Do you get the point yet?
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t actually be these kinds of things, but I am saying that they are all platitudes. Every one of those statements and phrases is drearily commonplace and predictable, lacks power to evoke interest through overuse or repetition, but was nevertheless stated as though it were original or significant.
They’re all platitudes, my friend. And, I’m going to make you two guarantees about these platitudes right now:
1. I guarantee you are using platitudes just like these in your marketing right now.
2. Using these platitudes in your marketing has produced dismal results for you for as long as you’ve used them. This means you’ve left an untold sum of money on the table—money that you could have had in the bank account already if your marketing had been done right.
Now, what if I could show you how to get better results?
It’s true—better results are possible and even inevitable when you eliminate platitudes. And that’s the first secret that I want to share with you.
Eliminate platitudes from your marketing and ads forever, and you will get substantially better results! Now, let me give you three platitude evaluations you can use right now to test your own marketing, such as a website, a brochure, or an ad.
Grab one of your marketing materials or pull up your website and evaluate your content for how good it really is to move your prospect towards taking action.
Platitude Evaluation #1 – Well I Would Hope So!
I want you to take a look at any claim you’ve made on your website (let’s assume we’re talking about a website from now on) and ask yourself if a customer or prospect could or would automatically respond with the statement, “Well I would hope so!”
For example, this ad for a plumber says, “Plumbing Service and Repair.” Well I would hope so, you are a plumber, right?
Then it says that they’re “licensed, bonded and insured,” and that they “fix faucets and fixtures, water heaters, tubs and showers, etc.” Well I would hope so! You’re a plumber. What else would you do? I mean, it’s so painfully obvious that it’s ridiculous.
Or how about this common statement that says “committed to honest, ethical service.” Well, I would hope so! What else would you expect them to say? “Hey, we’re lousy, we’ll show up late, make your house dirty, expose our backsides to your kids and wife, and make sure that the problem that we fixed will break again a few weeks after we fix it?”
Of course not! Everybody is going to say great things about themselves if they can get away with it.
So what about your website? How did you do? Do you have any of these painfully obvious statements that would cause someone to say, “Well I would hope so?” Be honest with yourself and check. Now on to the second evaluation:
Platitude Evaluation #2 – Who Else Can Say That?
Pay close attention to this one, because the question is not who else can do what you do, but who else can say what you say. The answer is usually anyone and everyone.
Here’s a painter who says that he’s “Idaho’s best.” Who else can say that? Now this guy might actually be the best in Idaho and the best in the entire universe for all I know, but do you actually believe it just because he said it?
Who else can say that? Can’t the guy (on the next web search result) who says “where integrity and quality meet” also say that he’s Idaho’s best? Of course, he can. See, these statements are drearily predictable and commonplace and lack power to evoke interest.
And you know what? They were nevertheless stated as though they were original or significant. Now look at your website. Read a few lines and then ask yourself this, “Who else can say that?” If one of your competitors can say it, then you failed this evaluation.
One of the most common platitudes in marketing is to tell us how long you’ve been in business. Everybody thinks it matters, but I promise you – it doesn’t. For example, I’m looking at a Chiropractor’s website who thinks you should visit his practice because he’s been a Chiropractor for over 30 years. Who else can say that? Well, how about his competitor on another website among the search results who has been serving “for over 32 years.” See what I mean?
To take this one step further, let’s move on to the last evaluation which might hurt the most…
Platitude Evaluation #3 – The Cross-Out Write-In Test
For this evaluation, I’m going to have you cross out the name of your company on your website and then write in the name of your competitor. Now tell me this – is the content or claim still valid? If so, you’ve just failed the test.
Another way to illustrate this is to do it in reverse. Cross out your competitor’s name and replace it with your company’s name. Now tell me, is the statement still valid? I mean really. I don’t care if you absolutely know that you have higher quality than your competitor because your competitor can still say that they have higher quality than you, even if it’s not true.
I can give you hundreds of other examples for insurance companies who can give you “fast, easy quotes” or dentists who offer “complete dental care” or landscape contractors who “cut to perfection,” but the bottom line is that none of these websites pass the cross out, write-in test, or the other platitude evaluations.
When we implement the Power Marketing ProgramTM into your business, one of the first things we do is remove all of the platitudes from your existing content and marketing copy.
We innovate your company and create specific and strategic marketing headlines, messages, and campaigns that absolutely separate you from your competitors and cause your prospects and customers to draw this simple conclusion, “I’d have to be an absolute fool to do business with anybody else but you, regardless of price.”
You see, platitudes cause your marketplace to assume that you and your competitors are all the same. But, that’s probably not true. You might have the best business of its kind in your industry, but since your website and your competitors’ websites all use platitudes, then the marketplace can’t tell who actually offers the best value, so they call you up and ask you the same question that you’re probably really sick of hearing, which is, “how much do you charge?” My friend, it doesn’t have to be that way.
By way of example, take a look at one of your company’s brochures. What’s on the top of the front cover? More than likely, you’ve put your company name and/or logo there. Guess what? If you did, you just failed the exam.
Let me explain why—nobody cares who you are until they know what you can do for them! Here’s another secret—instead of putting your company name or logo on the front cover of your brochure, you should put a hot-button loaded headline that emotionally connects with your prospects and makes them beg to read the content on the inside. Dozens of facts, evaluations, and principles like this go into the execution of a Power Marketing-based marketing piece.
Unfortunately, there is not enough room in this short article to explain everything you need to know to make your marketing work. If you’re sick and tired of “Free Consultations” that turn out to just be sales calls, then you’re going to love our FREE Marketing Leverage Analysis.
During this 35 minute analysis, I will review your existing marketing material and strategies and learn what your marketing goals are. I’ll use this information to analyze all the gaps and missed opportunities in your current marketing. I will also show you where opportunities with “Marketing Leverage” exist and how you can take advantage of them.
Just click on the button below to request your own Marketing Leverage Analysis, fill out the form, and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours!
To your success and higher profits!
Philip Saparov