Siegel & Gale, a major research, branding and communications firm, recently published a "Perplexity Poll" (PDF) for its clients in the wireless telecommunications industry. In brief, what they found is that there is a measurable cost related to the confusion and complexity surrounding issues like rate plans, additional charges, roaming, phone features and invoices.
What kind of measurable cost? Try $3 billion. That’s how much the industry loses every year when people get fed up and quit because they are confused. Fully 25% of the people interviewed said they’d left a previous wireless company because they’d been perplexed and frustrated. What does this have to do with church marketing? Well, it shows — in big, stark numbers — that people like clear, easy-to-understand information. They don’t like to be confused. And they vote with their feet.
And while most law firms can’t compete with cellular phone service in complexity, ask yourself the following questions while you’re putting together your next marketing piece:
- Is there an easy response mechanism? An email address or phone number where someone can ask a question?
- Is there one, clear message? Or are you asking people to grasp the contents of your entire web site all at once?
- Are you speaking to one audience? Or are you expecting a reader to be both a lawyer, marketer and legal administrator?
Simple stuff like that. Pretend you’re the most distracted, harried purchaser of legal services. Does the piece make sense? Can you get to the heart of the matter in less than 30-seconds? Is there any way to make it even more succinct? It’s your job to try harder so that your audience doesn’t have to.