Power Words

The cover of the April 6 New Yorker is a funny look at what might be called advertising hucksterism at its most obvious. It’s the April Fool cover done by popular artist Roz Chast.

Chast’s combination of ad cartoons promise “Lottery Winning Secrets! This Could be You!”, “Finally: A Candy Bar that Burns 500 Calories as You Eat It!”, ‘”Vitamins That Make You Smarter!” and other enticements from investing to amazing sex to eternal youth.

Of course satisfaction is guaranteed or double your money back. That promise always boosts response. The words you use in your marketing make all the difference in how well it works for you.

Effective language gives you the power to influence, persuade and convince. Words can be the difference between success and failure. Ask the many politicians who have used the wrong words to convey their messages, only to have them displayed in 48-point headlines in the press the next day.

For example, if I write that “words are the weapons of successful selling,” your reaction to that statement is different than if I write that “words give sales people their competitive advantage.” Basically the meaning is the same, but the feeling one gets in reading both phrases is decidedly different.

One of the best examples of the power of a word is the marketing for Las Vegas. When Vegas changed from a “gambling” destination to a “gaming” destination, they got rid of the aura of organized crime associated with gambling. That change brought families to Vegas for vacations which in turn had a tremendous impact on the growth and tourist appeal of the city. All from the change of one word.

As you write business correspondence, e-mails, brochure copy and ads for your business, think carefully about the words you use, how people react to those words and what outcomes they deliver. Here are tips:

Avoid Words that End in ‘t: Words like don’t, can’t, won’t, couldn’t, isn’t, etc. have negative meanings. Even more, they confuse people. Use the positive forms instead. The positive forms pack more power.

Make it Personal. Anytime you relate to someone at a personal level, you are much more persuasive. Here’s an example. “Now available –Affordable Health Insurance.” vs. “Now available – Health Insurance You Can Afford!” Making it about “you” makes it personal. “You” is one of the strongest power words.

Keep it Short. Whatever you have to say, do it with as few words as possible. You’ll find that it actually takes longer to write short copy! I’m reminded by the quote from writer Mark Twain, who upon sending a lengthy letter to a friend ended by saying, “I apologize for the long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

Grab Their Attention. Each of Roz Chast’s fictional ads on the New Yorker cover makes this point with humor. The reality is, you only have a couple seconds to get someone interested. That’s why you put the promise or the benefit in the headline.

Another technique for attention-getting headlines includes asking a question. Studies show that people read or listen to question headlines more than statement headlines. Words like “discover”, “free”, “now” and “secret” are all power words that grab attention.

Be Specific. When you talk around a subject and never actually make a point, the reader or listener loses interest. One recent health care ad I saw had the headline “Proven Care.” That is so general it isn’t even interesting. Take a look at your marketing. When you find generalities, change them to something specific.

Use Facts and Statistics. People read and believe facts and statistics. That’s one of the reasons magazines, newspapers and other media sources have contests for their readers to vote for the best businesses in a variety of categories. The businesses with the most votes get to use the fact and statistic that they are #1 as chosen by readers of that media. Even if a fact isn’t specific just to you, if you’re the only one using it the perception is that it is just you.

Carefully Evaluate the Words. Although a rose by any other name is still a rose, the other name just might be better! Look at politicians and public policy makers for the best examples about the power of words. They are masters at choosing words that build confidence and trust in things that, if called what they really are, would have taxpayers alarmed.

A current political example is the Economic Stimulus Package. That sounds really good. Afterall, everyone wants the economy stimulated. What if the name reflected what the package is actually doing? Would taxpayers feel as good if it was called a Deficit Expansion Package? Doesn’t sound nearly as good does it?

Avoid Comparisons. When you try to make your product or company look good by comparing it to another, you both lose. A recent ad I saw promoted the services of two plastic surgeons. The headline said “Is Your Plastic Surgeon Really a Plastic Surgeon?”

The purpose is to discredit practices where people who are not certified plastic surgeons are doing cosmetic surgery procedures. The creators of the ad neglected to consider these two key rules:

1. A reader only glances at an ad for about 3 seconds.
2. In those 3 seconds the reader only remembers about 50% of what he or she saw.

When you combine those 2 rules the message conveyed by the words is too complex to accomplish the objective. The reader is just as likely to associate the physicians named and shown in the ad to be the ones who are NOT the plastic surgeons as they are to realize it is about someone else.

That 3 second/50% rule is true with radio spots, TV commercials, and conversation too!

Use Simple Words. Messages crafted with simple words are the best at creating believability and trust. The most powerful way to use simple words is in the message that differentiates you from others in your industry.

Here are examples of positioning statements where simple words pack a lot of power.

General Electric: “We bring good things to life.”
Smuckers: “With a name like Smuckers, it has to be good.”
Nationwide Insurance: “Nationwide is on your side.”
DeBeers: “A Diamond is Forever.”
Avis: “We Try Harder.”
The Marine Corp: “The Few, The Proud, The Marines.”

Great communication starts with words. The words you use will make a difference in how you influence, persuade and build trust. Choose words that have strong, positive meanings. Both GE and Smuckers use the word good. Good is a power word. Had GE chosen the slogan “We make things better” the meaning would be totally different..

Any time you can use two short words instead of one long one, do it. Two short words are easier to remember than one long word (i.e.: prefabricated vs. ready-made.)

When choosing words to use in your marketing, follow the advice of author Stephen Covey who says, “Begin with the end in mind.” Know what you want your words to accomplish, then use the best and least amount of words to do it.

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