Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say

We have all heard the saying that is the title of today’s blog, but many small business owners don’t seem to take it to heart. It is important when communicating with your potential customers to use the right language—language that will make them love your company, and language that will make them buy your products or services. Here are a few key concepts that your words need to convey.

1. New. Who likes to have the latest thing? Just about everyone, that’s who. Calling your product new, improved, or otherwise changed from its original version will make consumers more likely to give you a try. Maybe they will wonder if they need an upgrade. Maybe they have tried a product like yours before and were unhappy, but are willing to try out a new version.
2. Easy. This comes in a variety of forms: simple, painless, etc. But all of these have one meaning. In a world where everything seems a little too complicated, using language that implies ease will assure potential customers that you intend to be a problem solver in their lives, not a problem causer.
3. Speed. Although we complain about people being impatient, this is a character trait that most people deal with. People want to know that your products or services will be fast. Exactly what constitutes ‘fast’ may vary according to your occupation—a fast surgeon, after all, is operating under a very different time frame than a fast grocery checker—but the concept is the same. No one wants to do business with someone who will waste their time.
4. Guarantee. This is especially important if you are offering a service on the internet or are new to a community. When people are deciding whether to trust you, giving them a guarantee or other promise of satisfaction will achieve two different things. First, it will remove risk from the proposal, making them feel that they have nothing to lose by patronizing your business. Second, a promise or guarantee will assure them that you are legitimate and indeed intend to follow through on your claims. If you can back this guarantee up with testimonials from satisfied customers, it will be even more effective.
5. Discount. This word also comes in several forms, such as sale or even free. Most people are willing to spend a lot of money to save a little. We love to feel like we are getting just a little more for our money than other people. More important, we love to feel that we are paying a little less. If we can get it for no cost at all, all the better. In this economy especially, people need to feel that they are getting the best possible deal.

If you want to attract customers, using these five words (or some version of them) will help your cause. In any case, these words are probably not dishonest, but a simpler, more direct version of what you really intend. Just remember to say what you mean (using these words) and follow your words up with actions.