Only one can be best

Only one can be best

One of my (many) pet peeves with software vendor marketing is when an AMS company claims "We're the number one AMS product in the market" or "We're the top provider of membership software!" Since only ONE company can be "number one," by definition, all but one of these companies are lying.

And besides, "number one" as measured by what? What makes you "number one" or "the top"? According to whom?

Don't the people writing this marketing drivel know that it doesn't just fall on deaf ears, it actually makes them look silly (for making a claim that simply cannot be substantiated)?

What would be really impressive marketing copy would be things like the following:

  • "98% of our customers are still using our software 10 years after first licensing it."
  • "On average, our software saves our customers 40 hours of staff time per month."
  • "Users of our software become better looking and more popular the longer they use it." (Just trying to see if you're paying attention.)

So if you're reading this marketing copy, ignore it. And if you're writing it, please stop!

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Motion vs. Action

February 14, 2019

In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. …

Motion vs. Action Read More »

Are You Answering Your Calls?

February 7, 2019

I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve …

Are You Answering Your Calls? Read More »

Who do you trust?

January 31, 2019

Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for …

Who do you trust? Read More »

Set benchmarks to measure progress

January 24, 2019

It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, …

Set benchmarks to measure progress Read More »

You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.

January 17, 2019

A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set …

You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it. Read More »

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."

January 10, 2019

In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except …

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to." Read More »

Know Your Audience Before You Speak

December 20, 2018

This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, …

Know Your Audience Before You Speak Read More »

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."

December 13, 2018

Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was …

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment." Read More »

Signal-to-noise ratio

December 5, 2018

Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how …

Signal-to-noise ratio Read More »

Consultants bring perspective

November 28, 2018

Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is …

Consultants bring perspective Read More »

Scroll to Top