If you confuse them, if they don’t believe you, if you bore them – then you’ve lost them!

I was recently asked to do a short bio for a client for her Real Estate Website.  English was not her first language and she wanted to sound professional. After writing the bio for her, she admitted that she was disappointed, stating that she had hoped for “more elaborate wordings” and a “vocabulary I do not possess.”  After all, I was the “pro with words.” The complaining email was very long and very poorly written, but I did get the point that I had not satisfied her.  And while she offered me the opportunity to redeem myself by trying again, I declined. 

It is hard to defend oneself from this type of attack. I have been writing copy like this for 20 years, and most clients appreciate what I give them.  They know that when writing marketing copy, it is important to deliver the right message to the target audience in the right way. Good writing is not about using the longest words – it is about using appropriate words. Granted, if the wording is too simplistic, the reader may become impatient and bored. However, if the wording is too obscure and convoluted, the reader may be confused and annoyed. Finally, if the message is too puffed up, it may not ring true. In each of these cases, the reader will not be favorably impressed. Confusion, boredom and disbelief are three of the cardinal sins of writing.

However, after my experience with this lady, I might add a fourth – “elaborate wordings.”  If your audience sees you as pompous or attempting to show off your superior intellect, they may look for someone who understands them, their life and their needs.  If your audience is confused by what you are trying to tell them, they’ll stop listening.  If you don’t hold their interest, they will tune out.  If they don’t believe you, they will almost certainly tell others not to listen.