Choosing your words

We rented a cottage in Cornwall last week. This is what it said about the phone line...

"The cottage telephone (01503 xxxxxx) only excepts incoming calls & calls to the emergency services only."

Ok, so it's fairly clear they mean the exact opposite. But it's still the exact opposite. If we stop caring about using the right word, where will it all end? Well, it could end up here http://www.grammarblog.co.uk/. There are worse calamities in the world I know, but this blog isn't about them.

Talking of muddles, here's a new cartoon.

Death by TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms)

I'm working for a goverment organisation at the moment and the acronyms are killing me. I did this cartoon for the employee newsletter, but it hasn't helped.

How to compete in a crowded market

I've been scribbling cartoons again.

I met this guy at a seminar who was so focused on his competitor that he forgot to be different. Fortunately the seminar helped him realise this, so I was there to witness that moment of epiphany. Or, as the great Homer said "doh!".

His next question was "how do I compete in a crowded market?". Hmm, tough one. If the product is similar and the price is about the same, there's not much left. Except perception.

Product features and price are rational considerations. But people bring emotions into buying decisions. Call it gut feeling if you like. Have you ever based a choice on something you couldn't put your finger on? That's the power of favorable perception.

Good news. You can manage perceptions through your communications. But, you need to know what your customers will favour. It could be something that you and your competitors all offer - but no-one else has made a selling point out of it. Do you have a service department? Tell your prospects how big it is - their perception will be that you care a lot about service.

Just one word of warning. Watch out for any gap between the perceptions you create and the experience your customers will get.

The truth about blogs

I've made some discoveries about blogs.

It took a few hours to find them out. Now I'd like to share them with you. Exciting or what!

You see, I keep getting told "...yeah, you need a blog. No-one looks at websites any more".

Right then. I'd better get cracking.

I like to prepare, so I spent an evening googling away - bouncing from one blog to another.

This is what I found...

Many blogs share news with family and friends. Which is nice.

The remainder are put out there for the edification of all. And here's the thing - most are complete toss. Don't people realise that some things are best kept to ourselves?

Now don't get me wrong, there are some absolute gems.

The good ones, they communicate something useful, interesting or entertaining. The best ones do all three.

So, I hope you found those observations useful and interesting, and the cartoon entertaining. I'll settle for 2 out of 3. It gives me something to aspire to.