May
24
2004
Say less, sell more
Posted in the Category of Writing Tips
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Bill Wren said on May 24, 2004 at 12:59 PM
I both agree and disagree with this one. I’ve posted my own comments suggesting rather than, “Say less, sell more,” it should be, “The less you sell, the more you sell.” For what it’s worth, my comments are at:
http://writelife.typepad.com/blog/2004/05/the_less_you_se.html
Cliff Allen said on May 24, 2004 at 03:44 PM
The problem with rules of thumb about copy length is that the purchase decision process is very complex. You have to know if the customer is a consumer or industrial B-to-B buyer, whether the product is expensive or inexpensive, whether the product is innovative or a replacement, etc.
Even the marketers selling inexpensive products with very long Web pages don’t know exactly how long to make the pages because they provide links throughout the page to their shopping cart.
Nancy said on May 26, 2004 at 12:25 PM
Especially online, copy can kill. Unless it’s intellectual capital or a knowledge piece, any long page of text is a deterrent to a potential customer—especially sales text.
I always try to get to the point quickly and let the quality drive the site… not quantity. Answer questions and promote content conspicuously but not obtrusively and let the customer get to their destination… hopefully the shopping cart. 
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