Watch Your Language
You know how some people cringe at the word moist? It's just got a gross sound to it and sends a nasty image through your mind. Well, if you're not watching the language you use for your brand and website you may as well be shouting MOIST MOIST MOIST MOIST MOIST from your proverbial rooftop. The words you choose to use give off a certain impression of you and when you're representing your brand, you gotta make sure that impression is the right one. Here are three ways you can watch your language and more effectively communication with your audience.
Think About Connotations
A connotation is the unspoken or implied meaning of a word. Some words have a connotation that feels warm and fuzzy. But some have a negative effect. So when you're writing copy for your website or creating content, be sure to consider if any of the words could be replaced with a more positive synonym. For example, I prefer to use the word investment rather than price, because investment implies that you'll be getting a return on the money that you're putting in and that’s what I truly believe about the services I’m providing.
Avoid Industry Jargon
If you've been doing what you do for a certain period of time, you start to learn specific terms that are thrown around in your industry. You probably even feel smart using them. But if you're speaking what’s basically a foreign language to a potential client, then you could be turning them off to working with you because A) they don’t understand what you’re talking about and/or B) you're making them feel stupid. Unless you're talking to other people in your industry who understand the terminology, I'd stick with laymen's terms as much as you can when trying to explain what you do.
Focus On Them, Not You
This is a hard one for anyone who, like me, is a one woman shop or freelancer because the business really just is YOU. But when people are learning about your business and reading your website, they really don't care that much about you. Like everyone and their mom, they care much more about themselves. So flip the script when you're speaking as your brand and make it focused around the person that's reading it rather than running it. How are you going to make their lives easier? How does your experience benefit them? How can you serve them? That'll already put them in the mindset that you're going to put them first if they do business with you.
Whether you’re talking in real life to a person, having a consultation or writing for your business, the words you use matter and have an impact. They could be the last little thing that puts someone over the edge to hire you (or not hire you). So watch your Ps & Qs and try to be more aware of the message you’re putting out there.
Do you use or avoid certain words when talking business? Or are you aware of some language you need to change?
