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Language That Sells
When creating your marketing materials...
...what language are you using?
There are basically two types of language we use - logic and emotion. Our natural tendency is to view logic as the more effective approach to decision making. Why? Because emotions tend to feel chaotic, reactionary and, therefore, limiting in their ability to produce effective results.
These beliefs form our desire to be viewed as logical human beings. Yet studies have shown that logic alone is often barren; it produces little, if any, fruit. I find this in my work with clients. It’s actually quite easy for me to get logical acceptance. But it isn’t until I get emotional acceptance that things really begin to happen.
When my clients feel the emotions associated with what they truly want out of life that their excitement transforms into action and action into results. So what’s my point?
When creating marketing materials use the language of emotion. Paint pictures that allow potential buyers to experience the joy, pride, convenience or quality you provide. Here are two examples of how language can make a difference.
The first came from a meeting with a mergers and acquisitions consultant who showed me his marketing materials which defined his ideal customer by demographics. I asked him “If you were a potential customer and your read this profile, what would make you want to do business with this company? Why would you choose this company over another who serves the same demographic?”
He didn’t have an answer. Why? Because their was no emotional trigger that caused him to say “That’s it! That’s what I want.”
In a similar vein one of my clients and I were working on her tag line. We were considering two words “phenomenal” and “amazing” in conjunction with the word “result.” She had her heart set on the word, phenomenal. I asked her “What do you feel when you hear that word?” She hesitated, then said I get the sense of bigness. Then I asked what she felt when she heard the word, amazing. She instantly said “A smile came to my face!”
Why the difference in reactions? Phenomenal is a logical term; it denotes quantifiability. Amazing, however, is an emotional term. Each of us knows what it feels like to be amazed. It triggers memories of amazement and the joy we felt when we were amazed. It’s that joy that we want over and over again. We don’t get the same impact with the term, phenomenal.
It’s counter-intuitive, but using the language of logic is counter-productive in generating sales. Yet it’s the language we most often employ. Retrain your mind to use the language of emotion and you’ll generate more sales at higher prices.
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