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Why Marketing Messages Fall on Deaf Ears

My husband and I adopted a stray dog a few weeks ago -- a 12-month old male Sheltie who has had no training whatsoever. My other Sheltie, Sasha, who is two years old now, is trained to sit, down-stay, and come, sometimes without even a verbal command. Simon (the new dog), however, knew nothing. Which meant that my words, which work so well for Sasha, had no meaning for him.

Watching my own interaction with Simon got me to thinking about how organizations communicate with customers. As B2B marketing communications professionals, we have to write for internal audiences first - bosses, product marketing managers, "corporate," and lawyers - before copy can be released "externally" to the customer.

Carefully crafted messages that actually mean something to the customer get watered down or deleted altogether. The resulting copy is a mishmash of "corporate speak," jargon, and fluff and carries messaging that has no meaning for the customer.

Case in point: An advocacy group completed an extensive marketing research survey detailing why parents don't send their children to parochial schools. What I found interesting is that while the schools provide the very things parents are looking for, none of them used the words parents needed to hear in their marketing messages.

Which is why the schools' messages fell on deaf ears.

"But, but, but," you're saying. "I can't do a market research survey to find out what customers want. I have projects due yesterday and I certainly don't have a budget!"

No, but you can do what I call "guerilla marketing research" a few minutes each day simply by picking up the phone and calling:

Sales people in the field and asking them what customers are saying - about their problems and about your product.
The customer service department to learn what customers are calling about. Nestlé, the food company, routinely uses customer feedback to improve sales. Customers complained about product labeling - Nestlé changed the labels and saw sales skyrocket. (Wall Street Journal, September 3, 2004: Toll-Free Tips: Nestle Hotlines Yield Big Ideas)
The IT department (or whichever department is responsible) for "feedback" logs from your corporate Website. What are people writing when they hit that "contact us" button? Don't know? Find out!

Once you have your data in hand, develop a strategy on how best to use it to meet your marketing/sales objectives. Don't forget to show it to show your team, marketing manager, corporate group etc. Most people are swayed by real data - especially if it comes directly from customers' mouths.

When writing your copy, focus on benifits and results. Don't rely on overused words such as "innovative," or "revolutionary." Instead, ask, "Why is the product unique or innovative?" Chances are, you'll hear a good story that can lead to fresh approaches. Make your product stand apart from the competition by quantifying benefits - "decreases analysis time by 20 minutes," or "eliminates two steps in the manufacturing process."

Marketing communications is truly a "two-way" street. Use messages that resonate with your customers; that is, use words they'll understand and "hear." You'll see an increase in inquiries and/or leads - and ultimately, sales.