Here are nine trends I hope to see unfold in 2009, in terms of shimmying under consumers' radar:
And, in 2009, it's more likely than ever that words like 'don't', 'seldom', 'rarely' or 'stop' will cause unfavourable reactions. Also beware of: 'unfortunately, unable, afraid, mistake, problem, error, failure' - even when the context is positive: 'no problem, make no mistake, I'm afraid...'
So, use your prospect's name. Use it throughout the text or conversation, not just at the start. And become aware of the number of times you use the word 'you'. The more I talk about 'you', the more interested you are in what I'm selling, because I'm speaking directly to your interests. As a rule, 'you' should occur two to three times more often than 'we', 'I' or your company name.
In 2009, make a habit of cutting words and phrases such as 'the big picture', 'benchmark', 'best practice', 'in the pipeline', 'strategic', 'on the same page', 'go the extra mile', 'at the end of the day', etc. Instead, use different, innovative, stand-out, impactful expressions. You may have to spend a little more time writing, but your prospect will also spend more time reading or listening.