The Amazing Power of Words

by Kent Butler

Words can create life-long loving relationships and destroy them just as surely.

Words can start wars and restore the peace, praise the worthy and condemn the evil.

Words can console the grieving, reassure the doubting, fortify the fearful, and laud the victor.

Words are all we have.

Samuel Beckett

For all the amazing power words possess, you'd think we'd all be quite careful in how we use them -- cautious and deliberate in what we write and say. All too often, you'd be disappointed.

The three most powerful words in the world are "I love you"; the two most powerful are "I'm sorry" . Ah, but how often they are overused and abused - especially "love". So often, that it is frequently meaningless:

"You're just gonna LOVE how new Homacid cleans everything!"

"Amazing NuFace will make you LOVE your pimples and warts!"

I don't think so...

Whether you're writing a sales letter, website content, an ezine article, a press release, a classified ad, or any of the other things business people have to write, how much time do you spend thinking about your words?

Do you just dash something off because your time is limited? Do you figure nobody will notice any problems because what you wrote reads just like what everybody else writes?

Oh yeah, just like everybody else... Could that be why it's so ineffective? Why it doesn't create any more interest than a used tissue?

"Yeah, but I don't know a lot of fancy words!" So what? You don't need "fancy" words. If you're not comfortable with the words you're using, the odds are your intended audience won't be either.

Using "fancy" words just increases the likelihood of inserting the wrong word in the wrong place and destroying what you're trying to create. If you intend the generate excitement, but the result is laughter, you've missed your mark. Yes?

President Reagan's remark created laughter, sure, but it was also thought-provoking and, in many cases, sadly true.

To help you harness the amazing power of words, make sure you have the three most important tools: your brain (always carry it with you, it's your most important resource), a good dictionary, and a good thesaurus.

Digital books are great, but, in this case, I strongly recommend paper. I can probably look up three or four words in paper books while you're checking one online. And I'll likely get better results. I use three paper dictionaries and two thesauruses - plus online references.

The use of adjectives, words that describe or modify nouns, are a common problem area. Read a typical sales letter, especially online, and count how many times you see the words "fantastic" and "incredible". Now look up one or both of them in your thesaurus. Find some good, less-overused options? To increase the chances of people actually reading your material, make it more readable. Use the power of words.

© 2004 Kent Butler, All Rights Reserved

Kent Butler is an entrepreneur, writer, editor and publisher. He can help you use words in ways you've never considered. See http://www.Personal-Puzzles.com and you'll understand. If you're a cat lover, or know someone who is, you shouldn't miss seeing http://www.CatnipChronicles.com