Sales Tip of the Week from Mike Leeds – Pro Sales Coaching
Wording and Timing can be a lethal combination
The "financial issue" in Washington is highly visible these days, and it seems that everyone has an opinion about what to do and how to do it. No, this blog topic is not taking a political stand, but rather sharing an observation about a business advertisement I recently heard on the radio.
The news had just come on at the top of the hour, and it centered on the U.S. financial budget crisis and the highly polarizing topic of taxes. A commercial for a bedding/mattress store immediately followed the news report. They're offer was a "no tax" sale. Say what? Timing was certainly an issue here, but the advertiser didn't have control of where the commercial was placed. What the advertiser did have was control of the wording (especially since the commercial had to be recently produced based on the copy content). Sales Tax needs to be paid, and what the business could've said is that "we will pay the sales tax for you." This changes the message from some type of perceived scam to a customer benefit.
Even though the news report was about income tax rather than state sales tax, I'm not sure the advertiser's point was accurately portrayed or received by the radio listeners. What you say, and how it is perceived can be altogether different. Sometimes, your wording and the timing of the message can backfire.
Check out this link for another great example of the power of changing wording.
Have a great sales week!