In business, we’re always looking for fresh, compelling ways to get our message across. But is it possible to share too much information?
Absolutely. Let’s look at a couple of ways businesses do this.
Assumed Interest
An 8-year old boy once asked his father, “Dad, what’s sex?” The father swallowed hard, wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, took a deep breath, and launched into a 45-minute detailed description of the birds and the bees. When he finished he asked his glassy-eyed son if he understood. “I guess so,” said the boy, “but on the sign-up for soccer camp it says, ‘SEX: M or F’ and I still don’t know what to circle.”
In business, we sometimes provide much more information about our products and services than our customers ask for. And not only do we bore them to tears with our answer, but we don’t even give them the information they really want. When you communicate your message to your customers, make sure you’re giving them what they really want to know—rather than trying to impress them.
Enough is Enough
In “traditional” marketing (direct mail, print ads, catalogs, brochures, etc.) there has been a long-standing debate about whether long copy or short copy is more effective. And there are studies that validate both positions. The real answer is: Your copy is too long when people STOP READING IT. If what you’re saying is truly interesting or helpful, you can talk about it all you want. As long as your customers respond with “Tell me more”, you’re safe.
The same thing is true with new media like blogs and Twitter. Some people post a new blog daily. Some people send numerous tweets every day. If they are providing helpful, interesting content, their audiences will come back for more. Some industries change so rapidly that constant updates make sense. Most industries move a little slower. For most of us, quality is much more important than quantity. Wouldn’t you rather read one good idea a week than five useless ones? What you want to hear from your customers is, “Tell me more!” not “TMI!”
What helps you get the right amount of the right information to your customers?
