Never speak unless it improves on the silence. | Buddha
Sometimes a quote stops you in your tracks. You may know I am a minimalist in both the practice of my business and my life. And with as much reading as I've done on the topic, somehow I've never stumbled upon this quote.
But I think this is the problem with the world, yes?
Most of us speak more than we need to. Most of us say more than needs to be said.
Especially us marketers.
I think a truly good marketer achieves the goals of the brand blueprint without saying anymore than is entirely necessary, if anything all.
Websites need only say what is necessary to get the conversion. A story only needs as many words as necessary to draw out the emotion. A design only has to do enough to make you feel something. Written copy only has to say enough to drive you to the action.
Most of us say too much...when sometime silence is all that is needed.
I was talking to a high-level executive coach on one of my radio shows earlier this week, and he said, a good coach merely draws out the understanding from his client, that which he already knows. He merely does just enough to help his client reach the conclusion he already knows deep down. The coach could say a lot more. But why?
I think the best marketing accomplishes the same thing.
Yet, most marketers say too much, speak too much, type too much, push too much, publish too much, harass too much, distribute too much, and print too much.
Time to slow it down. Focus more on the meaning of the message itself, the emotion the message is trying to elicit. Instead of raw volume and mass.
The silence can say a hell of a lot...