Confused People Never Say Yes

Over the years, I’ve helped create thousands of marketing plans, advertising campaigns, product ads, TV commercials, project pitches and more, and there’s one important lesson I’ve learned:

Confused people never say yes.

We’re often so determined to communicate our message that we pack in too much information, and when that happens, it gets confusing, and confused people never buy, donate, or say yes. And that malady impacts every area of our lives. I have friends who can’t even write a simple email. Every message they create is a 3 page dissertation. A couple of those friends I even hate to talk with on the phone. They just never stop talking. They over-explain, over-communicate, but underwhelm.

The lesson? Be clear and simple in your messages. Get to the point. Whether it’s donor communication, advertising campaigns, a presentation to your team, leading a meeting, or a pitch for your new idea. George Bernard Shaw said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

Make sure you communicate, because confused people never say yes.