Why Marketing & Sales Literature Fails

Have you ever read a brochure and found that the author was more interested in creative writing than creating an effective sales tool?

Or how about this: you go to a Web site and, after three or four clicks – if you even get that far -- you still can’t figure out what the company does.

It’s a pity. The company probably spent a lot of time and money on their sales and marketing plans, but they didn’t value the importance of their communications. Somehow, they forgot the primary goal of marketing collateral: to generate immediate interest in their products or services.

Marketing and sales materials fail for a number of reasons. Below are the main causes of ineffective business writing and methods for overcoming them.

Avoid Corporate Myopia

Corporations are usually concerned about computer viruses, but Corporate Myopia (CM) can be equally crippling.

CM restricts companies from seeing the customer perspective. They discuss what’s important to them instead of what’s important to the reader. They boast about being “the leading provider of (fill in the blank)” rather than conveying how you benefit from their products or services.

CM is the silent killer of sales leads. You’ll never get calls from people saying, “Your marketing literature doesn’t work”.  And that’s something you can’t measure.

Luckily, CM can be easily treated by asking a few questions. What are the qualities that people typically seek from your service? What problems do you solve? What happens – in their world -- after they use your product? Ask yourself, “Why would I buy this product?” Then write about it.

Keep it Simple

Ineffective marketing writing starts years before creating the first draft. As kids, we’re taught that a sophisticated vocabulary will somehow make us better writers. Think “utilize” versus “use”. We tend to focus on impressive language instead of clarity.

Then, as professional adults, we get caught in the trap of conforming to trendy clichés by using jargon rather than real English.

Example: “Our accounting solution gets you up-to-speed quickly while leveraging your existing investments”. Translation: “Our accounting software lets you work twice as fast without having to buy more equipment”.

It’s an inherent challenge to get people to read your pieces. Why make it harder?  Speak in terms that we can easily understand, and infuse them with ideas that have real meaning.

Less Really is More

The most important words are the ones you don’t use. Problem is, people often write the way they talk and end up cluttering their key messages with unnecessary verbiage.

Review your drafts and ask, “Is there anything I can delete without eliminating vital information?” Chances are you can.

The great blues guitarist B.B King said that one note, when played with the right emotion, can say a lot more than fifty. It’s the same when writing marketing and sales copy. Be clear and concise. Cut the fat. Otherwise, potential customers won’t get your message – and you’ll be the one with the blues.

Inject Some Style

Who said that business writing has to be so…dry? It’s as if the Moses of Marketing inscribed a stone tablet that said, “Thou shall only write formal and lifeless brochures.”

Sure, facts and benefit statements are fundamental, but you should construct them with an engaging voice. Don’t think in terms of, “I have to write a sales letter”. Tell a story. Try a metaphor -- unusual angles about common topics bring us deeper into your proposition. 

Remember: A convincing business argument doesn’t just educate. It entertains.  

Quality Matters

People learn about your company through its written materials. And perception is reality: the way you communicate represents the way you do business; the quality of your writing reflects the quality of your products and services.

Marketing collateral alone doesn’t create sales.  But a carefully planned, well-written piece plants the seeds of persuasion that – when tended to with a smart marketing and sales plan – will eventually sprout paying customers.