The phrase “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me” is far from the truth…unless you heed advertisement and persuasive messages with caution. You are aware marketers use specific techniques to persuade buyer to do just that: buy. But are you aware of their sneaky yet simple techniques are?  

1. Fun words: I like to call these words ‘fun words’ because they never sound bad by themselves…Strong, better, freedom, smoother, faster, shiny, wholesome, quality…are all words that can be used to describe anything to some extent. They sound desirable. But be careful because they can be used liberally in very general contexts. Trickier ones such as ‘cordless’ is agreeable to the consumer’s ears-but ‘requires two large triple AAA batteries’ is not so appealing.
2. Replacement words: Replacement words are enjoyable sounding that replace words with an otherwise negative connotation. ‘Cheaper’ becomes ‘affordable’, ‘ugly’ becomes ‘practical’, ‘fast food’ becomes ‘convenient’ and ‘rigid’ becomes ‘durable’. Take pro life and pro choice for example. Prolife sounds much more favorable than anti abortionist and prochoice sounds much improved over the pro abortionist label.
3. Lambert Company, the makers of Listerine, popularized the term ‘halitosis’ instead of bad breath, helping it increase its sales of Listerine.    http://www.archive.org/stream/thisfascinatinga00birdrich/thisfascinatinga00birdrich_djvu.txt

Arthur Kudner, copywrighter of Erwin, Wasey, & Jefferson, invented the term ‘athlete’s foot’ to use instead of fungal infection. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,796476,00.html

1. “Better” words are words that are used but cannot be proven as an absolute. ‘Fresher’, ‘improved’, ‘tasty’, ‘more free’, ‘thinner’, ‘bigger’ and ‘healthier’…these words do not mean that it necessarily is, but that that it is more than something else-but what that something else is no one knows.
2. Comparisons: contains 35% real fruit juice sounds better than contains 65% artificial flavoring. When the positive is emphasized as if it is exclusive it can sound much more appealing.
3. Limited: “Buy now before they are gone” or “Only one per customer” creates a sense of urgency to the customer to buy one (and to do it quick before they realize they don’t need it.) It also creates an illusion to the customer, called the third person effect, which makes the customer think “Everyone must want one- so of course it is needed.
4. “Let’s say a bank gave you two financial options for your company, one is safe, one is risky, and they presented these two options to you like this:

You have 600 dollars. Option A: $200.00 of your money will be saved. Option B: There is a one-third probability your money will be saved and two-thirds probability none of your money will be saved.  You are more likely to choose option A because Option B the probability of losing all of your money is much worse than the chance of keeping at least 200 dollars.  Now imagine they presented you the options like this with the same 600.00: Option A: $400.00 of your money will be spent. Option B: There is a one-third probability none of your money will be spent and two-thirds probability 600.00 will be spent. You will be more likely to choose option B because $400.00 is a lot to lose when you have a probability of keeping more of your money. Phrases are changed with good words instead of bad words mixed. Of the notorious killer of Rome, one quoted “..Crimes were not crimes at all but virtuous deeds…victims were villains who deserved it.”  No doubt, there is power in words.