(Photo by Daikrieg el Jevi)

We all suffer from some form of “bias blindness” – a psychological perception that we better understand a situation more than others do. We see how other people’s thinking is “off” and we “know better”. This is likely true in your own business marketing as well.

First, when looking at your recent marketing materials, what are your unspoken assumptions? Examples may include: the reader’s expertise, the reader’s beliefs, the reader’s interest, the reader’s intelligence, and the reader’s awareness. Is there a way to make your unspoken assumptions explicit without affecting the quality of your message?

Next, repeatedly ask the question “So What?” when reading through all of your key marketing messages. The goal is to understand what key concepts are underlying your points. Often, we assume (incorrectly) that the reader understands these same points and knows the implication of not following your wisdom. The result is that your marketing doesn’t resonate with your audience. Make sure to drill down to get to the root benefit, and make sure that’s what you convey.

Finally, make sure you make it obvious what you want your reader to do next (your “call to action”). All too often in marketing and in speeches, people leave the audience struggling to figure out what do to next. Do you want someone to download a whitepaper? Call for a free consultation? Join your mailing list?

Don’t assume people can read your mind.