This, my friends, is copy that makes the head hurt: “(Company name withheld) is the premier Lean consulting company that assures a robust and sustainable implementation strategy for global corporations. (Company name withheld) accomplishes sustainable implementation through the development of the internal structure for deployment and then enables the workforce, at all levels, to maintain Continuous Improvement initiatives.”
The name has been changed to protect the guilty.
My point: of course, write for your customer; but please, write with clarity.
Most copy is written for the wrong audience. Write for your customer, not for you. The copy I cite in this post sounds like it’s written to make the honchos at the company feel really good about themselves. Chock full of buzz words. Oh yeah, sustainable implementation. An internal structure for deployment and Continuous Improvement initiatives, and how cool are WE?!
Clearly, the company that proudly displays this copy on the home page of their website has made an assumption you know who they are and what they do before you arrive at their site. I must also assume that business is so good they can afford to operate under this likely-to-cost-you-customers assumption. The words in blue, almost 25%, all buzz words: “(Company name withheld) is the premier Lean consulting company that assures a robust and sustainable implementation strategy for global corporations. (Company name withheld) accomplishes sustainable implementation through the development of the internal structure for deployment and then enables the workforce, at all levels, to maintain Continuous Improvement initiatives.”
Enough about them.
When you write copy, especially on your homepage or any landing page, understand one thing: you need to communicate what you do, how you do it and why you’re different; and you need to do it quickly. My attempt at this on my home page is the 59 words at the top of the page and the 51-second video on the right.
Using plain English and avoiding buzz words communicates. It creates shared meaning, which usually brings with it understanding. And isn’t that what you’re after? Or is it to feel good about yourself by leveraging your value proposition via the deployment of rhetoric congruent with your branding initiative? Or by leveraging your branding initiative via the deployment of your value proposition. . .you get the idea.
Agree a little? Read William Zinsser’s wonderful book, On Writing Well.
Agree and want to get serious about it? Buy Jonathan Clark’s complete business writing course. (full disclosure: Jonathan is a client. . .and arguably the best business writing expert active today)
