Yesterday, I encouraged you to check for Antiquated Sales Messages. Today, I want to challenge you to take a look at the messages you’re involved in so often that . . .

You have become used to them and you’re either boring the hell out of the recipient or you’re missing an opportunity to differentiate.

Here are a few examples, with my comments to spark some new exciting ideas of your own!

Do you or a member of your team ever have to give someone instructions on how to do something? Perhaps you are doing a demo, getting someone set up with their account etc.

Check out what this flight attendant did to change things up a bit at Southwest Airlines

Note: Rapping instructions might get you fast tracked into the random drug test program but . . . is there a way that you could breathe some life into your instructions, directions or client training?

Could you remove some jargon and stuffiness?

Could you inject some humor?

Heck, how about a little more enthusiasm?

This might be your kazillionth bout with these instructions . . . its your client’s first time. Don’t ever forget that!

The second example is from my friend Derek Hoffman President of Bellatoris Consulting.

Listen to what Derek has done with his voicemail by clicking the link below.

Derek’s Awesome Voicemail

The thing I like about this, is that Derek has injected “Brand Derek” into an his company voicemail. The part that I find brilliant is that Derek has crafted it in a way that it smiles at his blogging efforts.

When I did my first mailing campaign with Mail Chimp, I received a really cool email with this in the body of it

I clicked on the button and I’m promptly informed that because I sent my first campaign they are sending me a way cool T-Shirt with a monkey on it. Who the hell doesn’t like free stuff like that? Especially free stuff with monkeys. Monkeys are a freakin riot!

So instead of sending me a “Thanks for your first order” email or card, they turned it into something festive. Quite frankly, I would have been happy just to be acknowledged as a customer but this took it up a notch!

What are you doing to acknowledge and welcome your customers aboard?

My final example is something you probably have seen mucho times, but its just too damn funny.

When you unsubscribe from receiving something from a company, you typically hit unsubscribe, they acknowledge it and that’s about it.

Pretty standard stuff, huh?

Not with Groupon!

When you unsubscribe to Groupon, the following video pops up giving you the option to punish the person responsible for pissing you off.

So what do you do when someone unsubscribes or even (dare I say) stops doing business with you?

Can you find a way to make it memorable or even . . . Make them second guess their decision?

Here’s the point folks . . .

You don’t have to do these things or even like them but . . .

You do need to understand that we have multiple opportunities each day to be like everyone else or . . .

Find our own way

To put our own personality and . . .

Breathe a little fresh air into messaging that typically bores the hell out of people.

Dare to be different!

Your turn . . . Do you see some room for improvement in the typical, standard messages you come across in your travels?

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