Compare With Caution

Comparing one product or service or one business to another is always acceptable… when you are the consumer. 

But as a business selling itself, comparing comes with caution!  Make sure you’ve given deep consideration before you compare your product or service with your competition!  

This word of caution holds true whether you are making a comparison in your advertising message, or communicating face to face with a customer. 

Think back to the last time a salesperson was comparing his or her company, product, or service to their competitors’. If they went too far and made unsubstantiated claims, degraded the competition or its people, it can easily backfire. Instead of gaining confidence in the product, service, or company, they may end up losing credibility and therefore the sale.

In our Do’s and Don’ts of Comparative Advertising many of the rules that apply in advertising also apply when selling person to person. 

This applies to major companies as well as small local businesses. In the famous  “Get a Mac” advertising campaign, Apple gave great consideration to the possible retaliation that the PC manufacturers could re-attack with.  If you are ever considering comparing your business to another, you should too.

Like dynamite, comparative selling and advertising can be a very powerful strategy, but it can also blow up in your face. 

Proceed with Caution!

To see the complete list of the Do’s and Don’ts of Comparative Advertising, click here.

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