Over on the Duct Tape Marketing blog, John Jantsch asked some heavy hitters discuss the outlook for 2009.
Here is a snippet:
| 2009 will be the year for small business to...
Seth Godin, author of Tribes said . . Run/grow/compete like mad because the big bad companies that have been slowing you down are in such disarray. John Battelle, founder of Federated Media said . . . get closer to its best customers, add value to their lives, and build new business from that value. David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR said . . . stop spending $$ on marketing. Instead create interesting information people WANT to consume. |
So here's my take:
2009 will be the year for small businesses to say what we mean and mean what we say.
Marketing materials and sales pitches are bloated with meaningless corporate jargon. That wouldn't be so bad if it actually helped our prospects understand who we are, what we do & how we can help.
BUT the reality is: it doesn't.
If you haven't read the The Gobbledygook Manifesto ebook, check it out. Or take a look at the jargon analysis below to see what I am talking about:
(click image above to enlarge)
Did you use any of these words in email, on your website or on the phone with your buyers in 2008? I know I did.
So if you would, join me in welcoming a 2009 where our answers to "What does your company do?":
- makes sense to people outside of our companies / industries
- gets our buyers excited
- talk about business issues not technology
Here's to 2009 - the year we walk in our buyer's shoes and speak in a language they understand!
Please feel free to share your New Years Sales & Marketing Resolutions!