Take a closer look at the following messages and think about how you would Re-Frame them.

Three examples of marketing that create unnecessary confusion for their potential clients. Some times we add more words because we think it does a better job of getting the message across more clearly. Oh how that expedites the dysfunctionality of the content.

In this first example, one of the global icons in the fast food industry wants us to appreciate a straw:

What if they just said: Think of that straw as your pipeline to instant, ice-cold McDonalds® liquid refreshment. Much clearer message now.

In this second one sent by my dear friend Cornelis from The Netherlands; the message suggests we embrace the concept of having our day improve because of parking our vehicle. WPS may be Pioneers in Parking Solutions, (as they describe themselves on their home page), however they are delivering a poor message: Because parking shouldn't take the joy out of …... everyday life.

And why the demand of “Shoulding”-- taking the joy out of parking?!?

BETTER Word Choice suggests: First Class Parking Solutions put some joy into everyday life.

As you think of the message you want to convey; ask yourself, what do I really want my customer/client to experience? In this case: enjoy your parking experience.

This last example is one I have thought about for several years. The product was invented in 1979 and first marketed in 1981.

The wording suggests: I Can't Believe It's NOT Butter!

Wait, it is a substitute; and it is just as tasty as butter; AND it is healthier for you. The next comment from their website suggests:

Fresh Butter Taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter.* Go ahead…CHEAT ON BUTTER.™

Personally, I like their own trademark as the BETTER Word Choice product name: CHEAT ON BUTTER.™

Just more simple examples of Re-Framing the message with BETTER Word Choice.

Have a great week.

Empowering Regards,

Bob

I love getting his weekly newsletters because they are filled with great insights. This week's message about the importance of tie-downs caught my eye and I am compelled to comment on the “(K)notty Words” in the message.

The first thing I did was copy and paste the content of his message into the top window of the “(K)notty Word” Calculator on the Remember the Ice web site. Then I hit submit. In a few seconds, I had an analysis of the text:

Word count: 732 Estimated Sentences: 59 Knotty words: 31 Multiword sentences: 5 Score: 32

Analysis

26 to 50: If your score is in this range, there is still a bit of a flawed foundation in the word choice. There are still more "(K)notty Words" than you would like to have. You have probably avoided several multiple "(K)nots" in the same sentence, and may have begun the process of eradicating some of the"but, try, should, shouldn't" words.

If you have been introduced to Remember the Ice or heard Bob share his BETTER Word Choice concepts, you may find yourself stopping in mid-stream on occasion, and thinking of how you might re-frame your message. You have the start of Cognitive-Emotive Dissonance (Chapter Two of Bob's book: Remember the Ice and Other Paradigm Shifts) as you begin to realize, thinking about using new and "different" words for old behaviors you have had for some time, still feels strange to you.

Then, when you click the next link on the Calculator Page: Click Here to Expand/Hide the Knotty Words Found, you will see the original text with the “(K)notty Words”now highlighted in red.

Here is that text:

If you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you'd use them, wouldn't you?

When you see your customer has some reservations, it makes sense to get the issues out in the open, doesn't it?

And after the ink is dry on the deal, you should make every effort to make sure your customer is satisfied, shouldn't you?

So why all the questions? They illustrate a simple technique - sales tie-downs - that can help you improve your sales. By getting your customers to agree with you in small steps along the way, you have a better chance of reaching agreement when it's time to do business.

The salespeople who effectively use tie-downs are more successful. The ones who don't aren't nearly as successful. It's that simple.

So what exactly are sales tie-downs?

They are short phrases that can be added to statements to turn them into questions that get your prospective customer to start saying yes long before you go for the close. You ask these little questions throughout your sales presentation to engage your customer and get them used to saying yes. Psychologically, they will then be more likely to say yes when you ask for the sale.

John Eliason, CEO of First Financial Merchant Services, a credit-card processing firm in Minneapolis, gives the analogy of Gulliver's travels. When Gulliver goes to the land of little people and falls asleep, he wakes up and is tied down to the ground. Gulliver is the sale and all these ropes are the tie-downs. John says, "If there were only one or two ropes they would not be strong enough to tie down Gulliver."

Too often, sales reps just regurgitate their presentations and expect that strategy to work. It doesn't. People tune them out because they aren't engaged in the process. The remedy is to ask little questions along the way, and monitor the feedback. Doesn't that make sense?

You know what I mean? Are you following me? These are tie-downs. End statements with questions like: Wouldn't you agree? Is that right? This simple technique serves to tie a statement down. Tie-down questions can be as simple as:

• Aren't they?
• Can't you?
• Isn't it?
• Shouldn't it?
• Won't they?

Perhaps you have been using these questions with your customers all along and didn't know there was a name for this technique.

Tie-downs have to become a natural part of your conversation before you can use them in your sales presentations. Be aware of your tone so the questions don't sound threatening or argumentative. Learning how to use tie-downs effectively takes rehearsal. Practice tie-downs on your spouse or friends. Have some fun using them in role-playing exercises with other sales professionals. That will help you develop a rhythm that will include enough, but not too many tie-down questions.

Unfortunately many people in sales don't ask these little tie-down questions and lose their customers at some point during their presentations. Give your customer a chance to respond and ask questions of you. Pay close attention to their reactions, because that will lead you to your next tie-down.

There's another benefit to tie-downs as well. They keep you in control and confirm that your customers understand what you are saying during your sales presentation, and that it's okay to continue. Are you with me?

Most often, sales people use tie-downs at the end of sentences, but they can be used at the beginning of a sentence as well. For example, if you are selling an alarm system you might ask: Isn't it important for your family to have peace of mind? Can you see how this will provide safety?

A lot of sales are based on price, so you want customers to agree that savings are important. You might ask: Saving money is important to you, isn't it? If I could show you ways to save, is that important to you?

Another benefit of using sales tie-downs it that you don't need a big close, as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customer when you save all the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout your presentation and watch your results improve.

Now let me ask you again, if you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you'd use them, wouldn't you? I think you know the answer.

Mackay's Moral: Use sales tie-downs to lasso more customers.
(Comments from Bob)

Using tie downs in sales helps you and your client come to the magical point of transacting business. They are important. Use them wisely.  From a Remember the Ice perspective, I would like to offer an alternative text. My BETTER Word Choice is in blue.

If you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you'd use them, right?

When you see your customer has some reservations, it makes sense to get the issues out in the open, would you agree?

And after the ink is dry on the deal, you want to make make sure your customer is satisfied, agreed?

So why so many questions? They illustrate a simple technique - sales tie-downs - that can help you improve your sales. By getting your customers to agree with you in small steps along the way, you have a better chance of reaching agreement when it's time to do business.

The salespeople who effectively use tie-downs are more successful than those who skip using them. It's that simple.

So what exactly are sales tie-downs?

They are short phrases that can be added to statements to turn them into questions that get your prospective customer to start saying yes long before you go for the close. You ask these little questions throughout your sales presentation to engage your customer and get them used to saying yes. Psychologically, they will then be more likely to say yes when you ask for the sale.

John Eliason, CEO of First Financial Merchant Services, a credit-card processing firm in Minneapolis, gives the analogy of Gulliver's travels. When Gulliver goes to the land of little people and falls asleep, he wakes up and is tied down to the ground. Gulliver is the sale and the ropes are the tie-downs. John says, "If there were only one or two ropes Gulliver could easily break the ropes"

Too often, sales reps just regurgitate their presentations and expect that strategy to work. Poor choice. People tune them out because they are hardly engaged in the process. The remedy is to ask little questions along the way, and monitor the feedback. Does that make sense?

You know what I mean? Are you following me? These are tie-downs. End statements with questions like: Would you agree? Is that right? This simple technique serves to tie a statement down. Tie-down questions can be as simple as:

• Are they?
• Can you?
• Would you agree?
• Will they?

Perhaps you have been using these questions with your customers and were unaware there was a name for this technique.

Tie-downs have to become a natural part of your conversation before you can use them in your sales presentations. Be aware of your tone so the questions. Learning how to use tie-downs effectively takes rehearsal. Practice tie-downs with your spouse or friends. Have some fun using them in role-playing exercises with other sales professionals. That will help you develop a rhythm that will include the appropriate number of tie-downs.

Unfortunately many people in sales forget to ask these little tie-down questions and lose their customers at some point during their presentations. Give your customer a chance to respond and ask questions of you. Pay close attention to their reactions, because that will lead you to your next tie-down.

There's another benefit to tie-downs as well. They keep you in control and confirm that your customers understand what you are saying during your sales presentation, and that it's okay to continue. Are you with me?

Most often, sales people use tie-downs at the end of sentences. They can be used at the beginning of a sentence as well. For example, if you are selling an alarm system you might ask: Is it important for your family to have peace of mind? Can you see how this will provide safety?

A lot of sales are based on price, so you want customers to agree that savings are important. You might ask: Saving money is important to you, agreed? If I could show you ways to save, is that important to you?

Another benefit of using sales tie-downs it that you have no need for a big close as many sales reps believe. You risk losing your customer when you save the good stuff for the end. Keep the customer actively involved throughout your presentation and watch your results improve.

Now let me ask you again, if you knew two little words that could improve your sales, you'd use them, right? I think you know the answer.

Mackay's Moral: Use sales tie-downs to lasso more customers.

See the difference? You bet!

For more information about those dreaded “(K)notty Words”, click here.

Empowering Regards,

Bob

If you have been reading the Ice Chip for at least a few months, you have read the above statement before.

Fact is: The statement is true.

Even in the drive thru of a financial institution. My friend Chuck Homan is an excellent General Contractor located in Eagle River, Alaska. He is also a fan of Remember the Ice and has a keen eye for spotting “(K)notty Words” in Action. Thank you for the following examples.

Why companies use poor word choice to “entice” their prospective and active clients to engage with them is a curious question. As you will see in the four pictures below, the word of focus is: Shouldn't.

As with the other (k)nots, the easiest way to eliminate “shouldn't” from your vocabulary is to reconstruct your sentences around its root word, “should.” However, unlike the root words in the other (k)not combinations, it's important to take a good hard look at “should” so you can see it for what it is and dump it, too.

Yes, I said dump it. Dump the word “should” from your vocabulary, your dictionary, your thoughts and your feelings. It is one of the most dis-empowering words in existence. It actually represents a concept. You may think that “should” is a word of hope, but in my book it's a word of bitter disappointments and harsh judgements.

“Should is about wishful thinking. Should is about forcing your expectations onto a person or situtation, and setting yourself up for bitter disappointment—or yet another excuse to be disappointed. Should is self-righteous, and has very little to do with reality .” (Excerpt from: Remember the Ice and Other Paradigm Shifts, by Bob Nicoll – Chapter 2, pg 61)

Based on how we work with “(K)notty Words”, here is this “word nerd's” interpretation of the messages offered in the pictures:

• Should take a mathlete to understand credit cards.
• Should take a boy genius to manage your finances.
• Should take a mind reader to decipher a rewards program.
• Should take therapy to comprehend a home loan.

Yikes!! According to the above; I have to be brilliant in math, have a genius IQ, be a deciphering mind reader, and finally I need to be in therapy to boot! (And it appears I need to get some glasses as well.)

Seriously?!?! Are these the conditions I need to meet to do business with you? Really?!?

Let's see if we can help Credit Union 1 customers with some Re-Framed messages that get their point across with BETTER Word Choice.

• Our Credit Cards are easy to understand.
• We can help you manage your finances.
• Our Rewards Program is easy to work with.
• Getting a home loan is a breeze with us.

Now I can look forward to easy to understand Credit Cards, manageable finances, a Rewards Program that is easy and a comfortable and stress free home loan process.

If I am going to be a Credit Union 1 customer, those are the experiences I want and appreciate.

Again, thank you Chuck for keeping your awareness of “(K)notty Words” at a high level.

Empowering Regards,

Bob

Dear Bob:

Of all the "chips" I have read (I DO read them all!) I think I enjoyed "A welcome Faux Pas" the best. When I fail to achieve perfect success I tend to beat myself up as I guess many of us do and then use it as an excuse to cease trying. Thank you for the reminder that empowering word choice is more a process and an attitude than a goal.

Ed Werick

Hello Ed,

Thank you so much for your response. With your permission, I would like to include your comments in a future Ice Chip.

I have thought about sharing that story on several occasions. My hope was to receive some feedback that was as specific as yours.

Appreciate your support.

Bob

Dear Bob:

I just reviewed "A welcome Faux-pas" and I got just as big a kick out of it as the first time I read it. The sentence that really leaped out at me was  "It's really OK- just acknowledge it and move on to the next opportunity for a better word choice" What a wealth of freedom and power in that statement! I can only share ideas that have meaning for me. I am very pleased and flattered that you feel that some of them may have value to others. Please use them and thank you!

Ed

Here is a comment from Mark Taylor:

Bob,

Haha! I remember that well, Bob! And the look on your face when we brought it to your attention. And the feeling of relief that "even Bob" slipped on (evidently rare) occasion. I personally liken it to the fact that I almost never use swear words. On the rare occasion when I do slip, people around me, and myself included, get that stunned look that says "did I really just say that?". (Damn sure did! Bhahahaha!).

Thanks for sharing another great story in the tapestry of our very rewarding friendship, my friend.

I'm wishing you well in all that you do.

Mark Taylor, BNI Houston East

"Changing The Way The World Does Business"

I really appreciate both Ed and Mark commenting, as it demonstrates a universal trait of striving to “do and be better at what we work on.”

The key is the awareness.

Speaking of awareness, here are a couple of pictures to give examples of awareness.

 Seriously?!? Stop texting and driving!

This poster is one of the few messages I have ever come across from a governmental agency that is actually a great message (great meaning no “(K)notty Words”) Shocking, yet true. They did a great job with this one.

Hope you have a BETTER Word Choice week, 900 seconds at a time.

Empowering Regards,

Bob

Enjoy!

On Sunday April 15th we took a drive to the Skagit Valley of Washington to look at the multitude of Tulips and Daffodils that dot the landscape in that area. While walking through the world famous RoozenGaarde display

there were a couple of signs that begged me to take their picture as well as a picture of the behavior that occurred around each of the signs. (The banner is a link to their website.)

So here we go:

Hmmm.... seems to be a disconnect with the message.

Really?!?

No, seriously... are you KIDDING me?

It was amazing to watch the people do exactly what the sign said:

DO NOT WALK BETWEEN ROWS

About 100 feet away, this sign was posted.

Looks like BETTER Word Choice has won out again.

Here are a few more pictures for your enjoyment. It is truly a valley of splendor.

And one more sign with Excellent Word Choice!!

Hope you enjoyed the view.

Empowering Regards,

Bob