“Without a humble, but reasonable confidence in your own product, you cannot be successful”
– Norman Vincent Peale
Nothing is more powerful or persuasive than the human voice. Ask yourself, “If I had the opportunity to deliver a message by voice over the phone or in writing by email, which would be the most effective?”
Most of us would say the passion and conviction in the human voice can be much more persuasive than cold, hard type. Having said that, many advertisers abuse that power, shouting and screaming in their commercials. Commercials, like people, have personalities, and people often trust or don’t trust certain personalities based upon the style of their delivery.
How do you feel about doing business with a hyper salesperson who shouts at you or makes outrageous claims? Or would you rather deal with someone a little more humble and down to earth in their presentation and demeanor?
Advertising is simply multiplied salesmanship. You have the choice of trying to stand out by jumping up and down and screaming, or being a little more humble and talking with, rather than at, your prospects.
In his 12 Causes of Advertising Failure, Roy Williams says, “For some insane reason, advertisers want their ads to look and sound like ads.”