Log onto your website, pick up your marketing materials, and open up your PPT presentations. It’ll only take a minute, so I’ll wait here til you’re ready.
Ready?
Jef Aerosol/Flickr
OK, now read through everything quickly and, objectively as possible, tell me this: Are you saying anything?
Way too much business writing out there looks all sleek and shiny and SAT-word-y, while in fact it is confusing and utterly devoid of meaning. If you can’t, in plain English, tell me what you do and how your product or service benefits me, then, really, what is the point of your website, brochure, one sheet, or presentation?
Both Seth Godin and Jason Fried, co-founder of Chicago-based software company 37 Signals and newly minted Inc. Magazine columnist, recently wrote about the state of bad writing and communications in the business world. I both laughed and cringed while reading their blog and column, respectively, because they are so right. (Jason offered up some examples of really great writing, so definitely take a look at his column on the subject.) And yet bad writing is continually, and proudly, put out there.
Take this example of embarrassingly awful writing that Seth offered up in his blog post, But You’re Not Saying Anything:
“The firm will remain competitive in the constantly changing market for defense legal services by creating and implementing innovative and effective methods of providing cost-effective, quality representation and services for our clients.”
Huh?
Now, that law firm instead could have said, “We will defend you to the death.” That would not only get them a lot of attention real quick, but it will give you, their potential client, the distinct impression that they not only take their jobs very seriously, but employ real people, not dictionary- and thesaurus-wielding robots.
My friend Ken Fischer over at Click For Help has a useful quiz that can guide your writing. When you log onto a website, can you:
In 2 seconds, tell me what the company does?
In 10 seconds, tell me what the benefit of doing business with them is?
In 1 minute, be convinced that company’s product or service will benefit you?
Apply that quiz to your own website. If you answer no to any of those questions, well, you know what to do.
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