One of our local employers was on the front page of the Monadnock Ledger last week regarding a $400,000 settlement with OSHA for worker safety violations. Ouch! They not only have to pay the fines, but they also must take corrective actions & improve the safety of their workplaces for all of their employees. They have agreed to get a full time safety &...
Honest Marketing of Technical Products
Submitted by TWP on Sun 2/6/11 8:15 am
When technical companies market their products, they often find the technical team at odds with the marketing team and even with management over honesty. How far should the company go in extolling the benefits of their product or service? Should the marketing message reveal limitations or gloss over them? Should the next generation features be mentioned months--or years--before they are developed?
Unfortunately, one compromise solution is an overuse of the word "can." Yes, our product can do that; but, no, we are not saying that it will do that. As I explain in my article on the Worst Copywriting Mistakes, the word "can" weakens a company's message; it sounds unsure and tentative. The better approach is to find statements that the whole company is willing to stand behind. For example, instead of saying "the robot can complete 25 motions/minute," state "the robot completes up to 25 motions/minute" or even "in testing, the robot completed 25 motions/minute." A minor shift to eliminate the "can" strengthens the message without diluting the honesty.
Honesty is extremely important in marketing technical products and services. You must convey to your customers that you stand behind the statements you make; you aren't waffling. If your marketing messages are weakened by words like "can" or if they wander across your own ethical line, contact me through my website. I've helped many technical companies sell their products with honesty and marketing strength.