I have no idea what this word means. And neither do the people who read it. I really get frustrated when marketing people try to write copy. I just had a marketing person insist I add this to a paragraph:

 ”We’ll help you determine and identify your exact needs, then create and implement solutions that provide you with the results you need.”

I have no idea what that sentence means and neither will the business managers who read it. This is what I mean by corp-speak. Generic terms that say nothing specific to the “needs” of your potential client.

When I write copy for B to B sites, I always try to think like a business manager or CFO or CEO who is looking for specific solutions to their problems. If you tell me you have a “solution”, what will that mean to me? Essentially, your telling me that you don’t know my problem and you’re throwing a generic word at me in hopes I’ll take the bait and call or email.

Twenty years ago, that might have worked. However, people get more sophisticated every day. And the one thing they expect is service. Real service. They won’t settle for generic terms like “results you need” and “implement solutions”.

If you don’t want potential clients’ eyes to glaze over, give them specifics. Get the generic terms out of your copy!

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2007-08-06 10:22:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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