Business Speak: Lose the Jargon, Gain The Sale

Business speak is a term for seemingly out of place words used in a bureaucratic or financial environment. Some of these words may be new inventions; other are pure jargon.

For some reason, many newly-minted MBA recipients believe these words actually work in communicating to the business market. As a result, they'll add "fluff" words, the more obscure the better. Here is an example from a leading consulting company:

Whether the change is large or small, the ability to manage change is a critical competency for high performance organizations. We help organizations prepare for coming changes, manage the complex organizational and workforce transition to the desired end state, operate successfully once a business solution or transformation is in place and realize the greatest long-term value from their business improvement efforts.

Huh? Translated, this means "we can deliver powerful value to shareholders". So why not say it directly?

Whether your customer is a consumer or a business executive, he or she WANTS to be excited and motivated. Your customer wants to be talked to in accessible, straightforward language. If YOUR website or corporate capability brochure incorporates business speak, I encourage you to :

1. Take away the jargon. Keep the tone informative, professional, yet simple.
2. Present your benefits in a consistent manner, combining right-brain and left-brain motivators.
3. Create or leverage your own proprietary brand. Don't just talk about "quality, value, service." Any company can say that. Communicate why your brand is better. Use competitive differentiators.
4. Present yourself as a leader or expert; in other words, own the niche.
5. Modernize your look and keep paragraphs short. Add bullets if applicable. Ask yourself: "Would I read and get excited by what's written on this page?"

Don't just copy your competitors. Blaze your own trail. Research has proven that plain-speaking language outpulls the jargon...even for that guy or gal in the corner office.

How To Virtually Guarantee Your Website Will Be Read

According to useit.com, eyes move at amazing speed across your website's words in a pattern very different from the one you learned at school. The dominant reading pattern looks somewhat like an "F" with three components:

*Users first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area.

*Next, they move down the page a bit and read across in a second horizontal movement that typically covers a shorter area than the previous movement.

*Finally, they scan the content's left side in a vertical movement -- a slow, systematic scan.

What does that mean to you when creating your website? First, know that users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. The first two paragraphs MUST state the most important information because they're the most likely paragraphs to be read. And second, you MUST start subheads, paragraphs and bullet points with information-packed words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.

Let's take that a step further. In creating a website, you want to use highlighted keywords, meaningful subheads (not just "clever" ones), bulleted lists, one idea per paragraph, and half the word count (or less) than conventional writing.

There's an art AND a science to website writing and design. Trust JSA CREATIVE SERVICES to create a website that incorporates both...for breakthrough click rates!

7 Ways To Select The Best Premium For Your Marketing Campaign

(Created for Branders.com, premium leader)

Make no mistake about it: premiums can build awareness, enhance good will, increase your net dollars, boost average order size, and generate more word-of-mouth and repeat business.
But what kind of premium should you offer? The answer depends on many factors: the type of audience you’re targeting, your time frame, your budget, and the ideal way you’d like the premium to be used.

Before you launch your next marketing campaign – or get ready for your next trade show – here are 7 guidelines you should follow before choosing a premium.

1. Choose an item that will truly highlight your logo.

You’ve spent time and money developing your brand, choosing your logo, and differentiating yourself from your competitors. Your selection of the right premium is an excellent way to keep that logo and brand top-of-mind – not only when your prospect receives the item, but for weeks and months afterwards.

Let’s face it: your company name, phone number, or website address won’t stand out on a pen or flashlight. But display it on a calendar, PDA case, desktop clock or calculator and voila – your prospect will notice your branding and think of you every single business day.
And here’s one more thing to remember when making a premium selection: the size and shape of your logo must be a good fit for the premium. For example, if your logo is circular, it just wouldn’t fit well on a cylindrical shaped pen, but it would do quite well on a coffee mug.

2. Look for an item with high-perceived value.

Which would you rather get – another keychain or mouse pad or flashlight-cell phone charger or USB powered smart button? Your prospects are no different. They, too, get excited about distinctive or unusual items with higher perceived value.

But just because it looks like it costs more doesn’t mean it actually costs more. Better to give an elegant photo frame clock ($5.32) than a low-quality polo shirt ($7.50). It’s win-win: you save money and give your prospects the impression that you care enough about their business to spend more (only you need know that’s not exactly the case.)

3. Determine your target audience.

You’re kicking off your fall campaign and you decide to send everyone a foam football with your logo. It’s a natural, right? Well…not really. Your audience is 80% composed of women. And although many women do love football, it’s a safe bet to say that more men do.

The moral of the story is this: know your audience. Is it comprised mostly of males or females? Is the majority Gen-Yers or mature Americans? Do you suspect your prospects are tech-savvy or are they road kill on the information highway? (In that case, don’t send them electronics!) The more you know about your target customers, the more likely you are to choose a premium that elicits “oohs” and “ahhs” when it’s opened.

But what happens if you are going to a mix of prospects – men, women, old, young, lots of interests? In that case, consider premiums with universal appeal. Stay away from the hardware and tools, the kitchenware or purses. Choose items such as notebook folios, book lights, desktop clocks, radios, calculators, food gifts…the list goes on and on. In the premium business, there really is something for everyone.

4. Plan around your time frame.

Yikes! You’ve been tied up with meeting after meeting, getting ready for that big trade show, and now it’s right around the corner. Problem is, you’ve want your premium supplier to get you 5,000 tumblers, personalized with your logo, and they’re saying it just can’t be done. What do you do?

In a phrase: you plan ahead. Premium companies work hard, but they’re not miracle workers. They must contact their own suppliers – some of whom are overseas – work in production and shipping time…customize your order…and then get it out to you. So the more time you give them, the more certain you can be that you’ll get exactly what you want, right in your time frame.

If it’s really an emergency, there are certain items that can be sent to you in a week or less, such as executive roller ball pens. But you must be flexible in your choice of premiums, and know that you may not receive your first choice.

5. Consider whether you need to move or store the items of your choice.

Logoed bottles of water may be popular at the annual conference or tradeshow, but
you’ll kill yourself getting cases and cases of water to your booth. And you’re bound to have some disgruntled employees in the bargain.

Be realistic. What’s easy to move around? Perhaps you should think about executive fun and puzzles, paperweight magnetic balls, human-shaped stress balls…the sky’s the limit.
And while you’re at it, consider this: do you want your prospects to place the item in their show bag to display on their desk later on, or walk around showing it off? Both are good options, but your answer will determine the kind of premium you ultimately choose.

6. Move up to the next tier price break.

“Oh, RIGHT,” you’re probably saying. “ My budget’s under attack as it is.” But don’t be too quick in making that decision. The fact is, most items become less expensive if you buy a few more.

Take a standard desk calendar, for example. If you buy the minimum – 100 calendars – the cost is $1.87. Go up to 400 and the cost lowers to $1.75…and it goes way down to $1.32 with even larger quantities.

So think: is there somewhere else you can use these premiums? If you’re doing a direct marketing campaign, will there be a chance to give these premiums away next month at your annual conference? Or during your follow-up mailing? Would another department be willing to chip in so you can both get the more favorable price? If you are close to a next quantity tier, you may actually find it is less expensive for the entire order if you just order a few more.

7. Think back to the best promo item you ever got.

You attended a meeting…went to an industry show…opened a direct mail package.
And there it was – that item you’re still thinking about, years later. It was the talking photo frame, or the toolkit and safety kit, or the pen cup clock or the ergonomic stopwatch. Whatever floats your boat, it’s likely your prospects will feel the same way.

So think back – or, if you prefer, look ahead to the next item you would get excited about. Many premium suppliers list their most current items and if your heart starts accelerating, there’s a good chance that others will feel the same way.

Above all else…
…team up with experienced professionals to help coordinate, plan, and execute your premium marketing strategy. You may be tempted to use those 5,000 umbrellas that have been sitting around the warehouse, or take the advice of your brother-in-law who thinks he knows the premium business, but premium selection is still a science and an art.

There’s a reason that over 97% of Fortune 500 companies – as well as thousands of growing companies – have used Branders, the company that guarantees 100% satisfaction. They offer thousands of quality items at prices that average 20% lower than our top competitors. Call and see for yourself!

Advertise in numerous publications or just one?

Some small-business marketers believe that the best way to gain response is to advertise a few times each in multiple print publications instead of advertising often in just one or two.

If YOU'RE wondering which works better, the answer is: advertise frequently in just a couple of publications. Effective advertise requires frequency for your message to be remembered and acted upon. As a result, it's smarter to choose targeted publications that are read by the prospects you want to reach and to buy larger-sized ads on a regular basis.

In other words: go for frequency first with the right prospects during the right times. And see how that strategy pays off...for you.