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Saying What You Mean To Connect With Prospects! Why What You Say is Just as Important as How You Say it.

Guest post by: Lisa Manyon

Article Overview: Do you REALLY think about what you are saying and how you are saying it, particularly in your promotinal copy? Word choice is a vital component of the copy for your marketing, advertising and promotional materials. In fact, your copy can make or break your sales efforts. I always say “copy counts and actually your sales count on your copy.” The best illustration of how important copy really is was shared by my good friend and mentor Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She explains that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. I have to agree. Imagine stripping all of your marketing materials of words. How well would your website, brochure, print ads, sales letters, press releases or broadcast scripts work without words?

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Saying What You Mean To Connect With Prospects! Why What You Say is Just as Important as How You Say it.

Word choice is a vital component of the copy for your marketing, advertising and promotional materials. In fact, your copy can make or break your sales efforts. I always say “copy counts and actually your sales count on your copy.”

The best illustration of how important copy really is was shared by my good friend and mentor Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She explains that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. I have to agree.

Imagine stripping all of your marketing materials of words. How well would your website, brochure, print ads, sales letters, press releases or broadcast scripts work without words?

Although it’s been said a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture alone isn’t going to sell your products or services as effectively as when pictures are accompanied by clever copy.

Let’s take the importance of copy a step further and discuss word choice. It’s best to use words people will readily understand in your copy. After all, your copy should connect with your customers by speaking their language to move them towards the sale.

Not only is it important to use words people understand. It’s equally important to choose your words wisely. Words have different meanings to different people. That’s exactly why it’s vital to consider your choice of words carefully.

Here’s an example:

Would you rather do business with the oldest garage door company in town or the most experienced garage door company in town?

“Old” can seem less desirable, even behind the times.

“Experienced” positions a business as an authority.

Would you rather work with a Realtor who wants to sell you a “house” or help you find your dream “home”?

“House” is a word that can seem generic.

The word “home” is warmer and connotes a much friendlier feel. Notice how using the term “dream home” increases the warm and fuzzy feeling even more.

As you can see, words definitely have different meanings to different people. Plus, the way you arrange words can impact your results, too.

Here’s another example:

Consider using the word “bonus” instead of “step” when it comes to referring to blended families. Bonus mom or bonus child each have a much more appealing ring than stepmom or stepchild (remember Snow White?).

Take Action Challenge:

Consider your industry, products and services and most importantly the people who are interested in what you have to offer. What words do you use to describe your offerings? Could you use an alternate word or synonym to make your marketing materials more effective and really connect with your clients?

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Home > Women-Entrepreneurs > Lisa Manyon > Saying What You Mean To Connect With Prospects Why What You Say is Just as Important as How You Say it
Article Tags: ano, broadcast scripts, choice of words, dna, dream home, garage door company, good friend, illustration, lorrie morgan, marketing advertising, marketing materials, mentor, print ads, promotional materials, realtor, sales efforts, sales letters, vital component, website brochure, word choice

About the Author: Lisa Manyon
RSS for Lisa's articles - Visit Lisa's website

Lisa Manyon is the President of Write On ~ Creative Writing Services, LLC. A Professional Copywriter, Marketing Strategist and Published Author, she's a master of matching your message to market via copywriting and publicity strategies. Manyon offers copywriting, coaching and consulting services. Lisa received the Charles Schwab Financial Literacy Award in The Hot Mommas 2011 Competition, a leadership venture housed at the George Washington University School of Business, Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence & the world's largest women's digital library of role models & mentors. She's featured as a success story in The Well-Fed Writer and is a published author in the book Success Rituals 2.O -Winning Habits of High-Achieving Women: How she does it and you can too. Manyon publishes a free monthly ezine Manyon's Musings and offers a complimentary Copywriting Action Plan. For more information or to schedule an interview visit www.WriteOnCreative.com.


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