Why being clever isn't so clever:

A lot of the consulting work I do relates to helping my clients improve their communication with their prospects, and helping improve their sales pitch.

One area that always gives people trouble, is the issue of humor and how to handle it. See, there’s a big difference between injecting personality into your marketing, and injecting humor into it.

While personality may offend some, it usually doesn’t detract from the marketing of your product. But humor, on the other hand… while it may or may not be offensive, almost always takes away from the product you’re marketing.

Selling in print isn’t easy. Literally every single word should have a purpose, or else it shouldn’t be there at all. You know the old adage your mother used to tell you, “If you don’t have something nice to say, then say nothing.” Well, when it comes to writing copy, this adage should be one of the Golden Rules you live by.

Only you want to modify it to, “If what you’re saying won’t help you make your sale, then don’t say it.”

Make sense?

And this is the real reason why you shouldn’t use humor — simply because for the most part, it just doesn’t help you. In my offline Newsletter, I regularly use humor, but I’m not selling anything there — I’m delivering information and ideas. And humor and story-telling are incredibly valuable tools to use, when you’re trying to give people information and you want them to remember it.

Remember, your product is the star… not you.

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Why am I GIVING you TWO FREE issues of my newsletter, when it’s already read in 12 countries world-wide? Find out at: http://www.kingofcopy.com/ssnl

Check out all the King’s products at http://www.kingofcopy.com/products

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kingofcopy

Comments? Leave them here on my blog — let me know what you’re thinking: