Do you wonder about the price of bananas? Do you cringe at the misspelling? Or does your mind come up with a sarcastic thought like “Banana’s what is on sale? What does a banana own?” (Yes, that would be me.) It’s been a long while since I’ve harped about grammar and word usage, but the […]
Marketing fail: Anatomy of a terrible prospecting letter
This has been my week for receiving lame promotions. Yesterday it was a prospecting letter that’s a true marketing fail. I have to give this woman credit just for trying, because so few in our area bother with prospecting, but… Oh boy what a mess her letter is. I was sorely tempted to write and […]
When the words they read are a prospect’s first impression of you…
The words you use in a blog post, on a web page, in an email, or in a prospecting letter are often the first impression your prospect has of you. As such, they’re important. Among other things, they tell that prospect whether you’re a professional; whether you’re a likeable person; whether you might be someone […]
Clarity in communication – do you make these mistakes with commas?
The comma. It’s just a tiny little squiggle amid the words that convey your marketing messages, your instructions, your requests, and even your declarations of love. And yet, as tiny as it is, it has an important purpose. A comma, or the lack of one, can change the meaning of your words and lead either […]
More mistakes that can destroy your marketing message
When you take the time to write – whether it’s a blog post, a web page, a prospecting letter, or a simple email to a client – you want people to read it. Most copywriting gurus will tell you that the purpose of the headline is to get people to read the first sentence. The […]
Real estate’s most commonly seen grammar errors
Do you ever wonder why some word usage mistakes are so common in real estate blog posts? I’m beginning to think that it’s because people see these errors so often they begin to believe they’re correct. Meanwhile, those mis-used words can destroy your message – and even cause clients and would-be clients to think less […]
Do you want to lose a potential client because you have bad manners?
Or… do you want to lose a potential client because your blog posts and spoken words show you don’t know the basic rules of grammar? I didn’t think so. I’m being picky again… Sorry, but I do think some potential clients might cross an agent off their list for breaking these basic rules of etiquette […]
Beware: Don’t believe all the advice you read
Not All Marketing Advice is Good Advice A few years ago a writer had to convince an editor that their words were valid before they went into print. Even then, some of what we read was not good advice. Now that anyone can have a website and/or a blog, there’s not even an editor to […]
In Marketing, Conversational Grammar is Good – Bad Grammar is … Not
Not long ago I received a series of emails from someone whose name is well known as a marketer of “how to make money on line” programs. Once again, he was promising the sun, moon, and stars to anyone who signed up for his latest and greatest. I have no idea why I read the first […]
“Too much also”
Several times lately I’ve seen a silly error in blog posts and emails. It’s one that makes the writer look like perhaps he or she lost the train of thought, or maybe did a re-write and forgot to remove something. But, perhaps that’s not it, because I hear the same thing over the phone – […]