Right speech begins the very practical side of Eightfold Marketing. This is where most marketers fall short. My first recommendation is this: stop lying. My second recommendation is this: start telling the truth. There IS a difference.
First, let’s look at lying. Exaggerating is lying. If you claim that a certain herbal remedy is guaranteed to make you feel better or cure a specific ailment, you should make sure that it will do so every single time. If not, then simply state that it will likely make you feel better or cure a specific ailment. If you know of a certain person who took the herbal remedy and in this case this person was able to cure their ailment, then talk about this case and let people know about it. You don’t have to exaggerate and say everyone is guaranteed to feel better. People instinctively know better.
This leads me to the second recommendation: tell the truth. In a sense, you have an obligation to tell the truth to people. If you know of a situation where your product or service actually helped someone, then share that story with people. Conversely, if you know of a situation where your product or service actually hurt someone, then don’t hesitate to share that as well. Many people will actually trust you more because of your honesty.
Remember, telling the truth and not lying does not mean that you can’t wax effusive about your product or service. If you offer it because you believe in it, then let people know how wonderful you think it is. Just be careful with your words.
Chris O’Byrne
OnlineArtsMarketing.com
