Selling simple.

If there is one thing a wonky economy does to marketing, it's to create the desire to try and be all things to all people.

The logic goes something like this:

Our sales are slowing,

Therefore, we need to appeal to a broader target,

So, let’s make sure we cover everything in our messaging.

But what seems logical is not practical. New marketers tend to believe that you can present the facts (all of them) and get the desired response. However, there is a counter-intuitive truth in successful marketing. This truth is that the easier you make your message — the more understandable and digestible — the more likely someone will make a decision and/or take action.

So, when things begin to slow, the logic should go something like this:

Our sales are slowing,

Therefore, we need to appeal strongly to our target,

So, let’s make sure we communicate our benefits simply and clearly.

Our job is to make the decision easy, even when people are uneasy about the economy. So, we need to make it simple by taking away all of the noise, all of the issues, all of the uncertainty, and make the decision to choose our product or service an easy one.

It’s sometimes tempting to include everything in a message. But ultimately, making the decision complicated during complicated times, just makes the decision easier to avoid.