How to Get Your Message Across - Retail Marketing Tips

Too much information!

Trying to cram too much information into too small a space is a classic - and potentially catastrophic - marketing mistake. And you see it all the time in everything from Yellow Page ads to in-store signs.

Yesterday I went to buy a greeting card for my parent's 50th wedding anniversary. On the door to the card shop were no less than NINE signs in varying sizes, colors, fonts, and designs. With topics ranging form their check cashing policy (don't get me started on that one) to the organizations they supported.

Good grief.

There was so much going on that not a single message made it through the clutter and into my brain.

Same problem happens frequently in newspaper ads. An ad will try to highlight the people's choice award the company won, the service guarantee, the broad selection of merchandise, the weekly special offer, the number of years the company has been in business, PLUS give the address, phone number, and business logo with tag line in a 3" X 4" ad.

My head is spinning just thinking about it.

But, hey, I understand why it happens. Those ads aren't cheap and you want to tell everyone as much great stuff about your business as you can to make it worth the money.

Problem is, most people just won't retain ANYTHING if you've overloaded them with information. And then the ad's a real waste of money.

So whenever you're trying to communicate to your customers in a small space - whether it's the sign on your door, your answering machine message, a newspaper ad, or a direct mail postcard - be very clear about what is most important is for them to understand.

And say that.

Leave out all the extra information and they're more likely to actually receive the important message you want them to hear.

Content Copyright © 2008 WhizBang! Training

By Bob Negen

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