Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Danger of Excessive Claims

Lately I have been hearing an advertisement from a "preowned" automobile dealer that specifically names a leading large competitor and the claim that the business in question will beat the price of that competitor and buy cars at a higher price.  Well, gosh, it sounds wonderful.  But the business model sounds impossible to me given that the competitor is pretty well known for low margins because it is a very high volume dealer.

Which brings me to my concern.  I immediately disbelieve this advertiser.  I am entirely skeptical of their claim.

It certainly also calls into question lots of other ads and their claims.  Not all of them are as blatant or easy to spot.  But they can be detected and potential business can be lost.

Our only real action is to slow down the madness by acting as responsibly as we can.  We can look at our own claims and our own messaging to see if we are also making statements that defy credulity.  Is what we say honest? true? defensible? explainable?  Anything short of that is a disservice to people who might be inclined to do business with us.

Bottom Line:  Take some time to look at what you're saying in your own advertising.  Be certain you can credibly stand on every word.  Don't play games in a bid to outdo competitors with cleverness and unbelievable promises.  Better to be super ethical and earn every bit of trust!

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