USA Today recently reported that consumers see and hear about a million marketing messages a year. ONE MILLION marketing messages a year (insert jaw-dropping gasp). How do you compete with that? How do you make sure your message is the one seen/heard?

You engage the target personally and precisely – to the point where they forget the 999,999 other options, even if it’s just for a moment. This takes two critical tools: The Right Message and The Right Voice.

To achieve The Right Message:

• Be mindful that messages should get to the point – simply, quickly, and effectively.
• Pinpoint the thing about your client that people want and can’t get anywhere else.
• Refine and reshape that thing until the consumer has to choose it over the competition.

To achieve The Right Voice:

• Remember that it’s about more than building a brand; it’s building brand personality. (It’s personality that the target should identify with – either in terms of who the target consumer is, or who they want to be.)
• Know who you’re talking to – figure out if they like Bill Cosby, Bill Maher, or Bill Shakespeare.

Of course, this is all easier said than done – which is why we’re here. Check out this skit for an exploration of the wrong voice and how it can kill a sale: