A Modest Proposal

Modesty is a virtue. Its also one of the first hurdles facing startup entrepreneurs first getting into advertising. Its no surprise, really. After a lifetime of parents and teachers scolding us for bragging and all of the little truisms like, "Satisfaction has no friends," its no wonder we're initially hesitant to praise ourselves publicly. The thing is, if you aren't praising your business and your products, who is?

Ideally, the answer to this should be, "My customers are." The trick then, Stacker 3 is identifying repeat customers that will be able to provide you with testimonials. You'll want to feel out potentials who are going to give you unreserved praise in brief and compelling phrases that avoid a focus on minutia. A testimonial that belabors the intricate workings of one of your products isn't as effective as a simple "It's the absolute best purchase I've made this year" or "I don't know how I lived without it."

If you haven't been open long enough to establish a solid customer base, obviously, customer testimonials may not be possible or prudent. In this case, you have no choice but to do a little bragging. It may sound like semantics, but there's a difference between promoting and bragging. You're just informing the buying public of how your company's products and services can benefit them, and believe me, customers are out there looking for what your selling. They just don't know it yet.

There is one aspect of bragging I would generally try to keep to a minimum. That being, overly long company histories that detail every minor accomplishment since their founding. If you want to tell your customers that you've been in business for a while and are reliable and trustworthy, that's fine, but try to leave it at that. Ultimately, your marketing campaign's focus is making sales, so don't lose your focus on matters of personal pride. You have limited ad space and it should be used to promote your products. If you really want to let your customers in on your company's history or are looking to establish a sense of openness and familiarity with your customers, consider a venue like newsletter printing, which is more appropriate.

Whether you're spending your advertising dollars on brochure printing or a targeted flyer campaign, you have to believe in yourself and what you're offering to the consumer. If you don't the customer won't. Get out there and toot your own horn or you'll never get noticed. So, sure, modesty may be a virtue, but nothing was ever sold with modesty.

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