Before a sale is made, a battle takes place in your prospect’s mind between value and price. If the price is greater than the perceived value, you lose. If the perceived value is so much greater than the price that the offer becomes irresistible, you win.
The battle between price and value is fought using an armory of language. Words are wielded like swords to either commoditize (de-value) or valueize. (Yes, “valueize” is a word. Google doesn’t recognize it, but it’s used on 291,000,000 websites, so it’s good enough for me!)
Let me give you an example of how language can commoditize or valueize…
I could say, “I write copy.” But this is commoditizing language. “Copy” has very little value.
On the other hand if I say, “I turn words into wealth”, then I’m valueizing. I’m no longer offering “copy”. I’m offering a money-making opportunity!
Most of your prospects will use commoditizing language. So it’s important to choose your words carefully so you can “reframe” the commodity into something of value.
To give another example, one of my clients is a Makeup and Eyebrow Artist. Many women are looking for “eyebrow shaping”, and most salons offer “eyebrow shaping” for about $8. Commodity.
But Alba gives “Eyebrow Makeovers”. Notice the emotional impact of the word “Makeover”. Doesn’t it have more power than “shaping”?
It’s a strategic use of language to position her service as something of great value. In fact, she gets $55 for an “Eyebrow Makeover” while others struggle to charge $8 for “eyebrow shaping.”
If you fail to choose the right words, you’ll fail to properly valueize. And your prospects will continue to view your product or service as a commodity, and likely think you’re “too expensive”.
Here’s a somewhat different example…
I recently wrote a sales letter for John Limbocker, Master SEO Strategist. (It’s not even online yet.) It was for a product called “SEO Boot Camp” that shows online business owners how to get multiple top 10 listings in Google. It also had a continuity program “attached” to it, and John wanted to stress the continuity program.
Trouble is, “SEO Boot Camp” doesn’t appropriately set up the value of the continuity program. So instead, I chose to call it the “Search Engine Dominators Club”, which happens to include the “SEO Boot Camp”.
Notice the positioning “dance” there?
This is strategy in action.
Choose your words carefully.
