Despite all the mud-slinging and negatively slanted reality shows and sensational media stories, people do respond to pleasantries. Especially when it comes to where they spend their money. If you’ve ever stopped to think about all those commercials and successful corporate advertising campaigns, you will notice that they all have one thing in common–they approach the message from a positive perspective.
What message is your home business sending? Is it a positive one? Perhaps you have been so busy with day-to-day details of running a business that you have not really taken the time to think about what the message is that you are sending out to current and prospective customers. It can be tough because we are not all perky, positive people by nature–or people who come off that way to others. You might have to dig deep and do some serious self-evaluation to see what sort of language and non-verbal communication you are using, and whether you are painting a positive picture or a negative one. If you are having trouble seeing objectively for yourself, ask a trusted friend or colleague to give you some feedback, or consider a survey of customers to see what they think of your business operations.
So, what says “positive”? It is not just about smiles and a warm handshake. Look at the words you are using in your marketing and even the general tone of your correspondence. Is it forward-looking, optimistic, full of words that convey a hopefulness and commitment to growth. OR, are you using lots of negatively charged words like “don’t” and “can’t” and “if”? In order to instill confidence and create a message that is pleasant and positive, you may need to look at every aspect of the “public face” of your home business and see if the message you’re sending is a positive one…or not.
See Also: Choosing the Right Words to Use in Your Marketing