B2B copy writing...tell it like it is

The Marketing Profs just published good, "1,000 foot level" article on B2B copy writing. The basic point is that we are trying to create a relationship between our company and the prospect, and the copy and tone we use in our materials should support that. Telling it like it is not only shows honesty, but makes the benefits clear. Here are their Five B2B Copy Myths and my read on why to bust them. See the article for their detailed reasons.

1. "Don't be negative"...sometimes you need to remind prospects of consequences so they can open up to your benefits.
2. "Appeal to the intellect, not the emotions"...engineers take pride in their 'gut' decisions, so help them feel confident in doing so (see the book Blink)
3. "Lead generation is everything"...breath down their necks trying to capture their phone number and they will immediately back away.
4. "Our mission statement and business philosophy help distinguish our company from the competition"...talk about the customer, not yourself (I hate mission statements anyway.)
   
5. "Our tone must be professional and businesslike"...skip the jargon and "be direct, forceful and concrete."