A couple of years ago, I read an article that said you shouldn’t use the word ‘love’ in a professional email. As in, “I would love to meet with you soon,” or “I’d love the opportunity to learn more.” Something like that. The idea is that type of language makes you seem inexperienced, or juvenile.
I disagree. And I’d love to ask that author how that's working for them.
Conversation, whether in an email or face-to-face, is how we connect and attune to others. Human dialogue is rich with emotions, or at least it should be. Could you imagine what a yawn fest it would be without them? Emotions are how we communicate our intentions…excitement, discontent, and yes, even love. Or, more aptly, passion.
I’m not suggesting changing your email signature to Love, Fred. But removing sentiment from language doesn’t make you less professional; it makes you a robot.
Emotions are connected to action. If you convey passion, people will react in kind. If you convey rote or monotonous, no matter how professional you are, people will get bored, and you become forgettable.
Every decision you make is fueled by emotion. I said what I said. When you transfer this idea to marketing, you have a real tool for measuring buying power.
You remember the people and the products that move you. If I said Clydesdale commercial, you would instantly know it as Budweiser. Not because it was professional, but because it made you tear up. Don't act like you didn't. And, whether you realize it or not, their brand is now top-of-mind because they made you feel.
I have three children. My middle daughter, Madison, has been trying to sell me a Purple Mattress for years. She will be 13 on Valentine’s Day, and since she was in kindergarten, she’s been marketing better sleep to me. Each time I would say I was tired, a little squeaky voice would chime in, “Mommy, you should get a purple mattress!” I didn't even know about his brand until my 6-year old marketing specialist-in-training introduced me! Where she even learned of this product is anyone’s best guess, but here we are 8 years later, and this girl is still trying to persuade me to buy a Purple.
Confession: When I am tired, I am a BEAST. In my house, we call it hitting a wall and all three of my kids know that I need a bed within minutes when I hit mine. Slangry is very real. It’s been that way since….well, when Madison was learning to read. When I would repeatedly say, “I need better sleep!” And, when she would see ads for “Sleep Better.” On a purple mattress, the color that made her the happiest. Because her bedroom was purple, and she wanted “mommy” to be happy, too.
Buying power. Made solely on emotion. Guess who is now considering a Purple Mattress???
Daniel Pink is a New York Times best-selling author of several books, including To Sell Is Human. He was a keynote speaker at a conference I attended in Boston a few years back; it’s where I first learned the term ‘ambivert.’ (That’s a whole topic on its own, but I encourage you to look it up if you aren’t familiar). Pink permanently changed the way I thought about and approached sales and marketing.
The gist of his book, and his speech, is the notion that you sell by moving others; not by being the squeaky wheel, or the loudest, or even the best. But, through relationships. 1 in 8 people are in sales, but 8 of 8 are selling. Beyond “always be selling,” you are always connecting, or disconnecting, by the language and conversation you dial into. Our connections with others, our emotional output, are a constant swing of persuasion. So, using terms like love in conversation, or hate for that matter – even if they are just implied - is integral to forming relationships that are loyal, sustainable, and yes, profitable.
It all comes down to the feels. Sharing in heartfelt conversation, even in emails, builds relatable bonds. When you take a risk to find the emotional intensity that connects someone to you…your brand…you’ll discover authentic and organic buying power. That’s the sweet spot for growth.
So, is marketing a love language? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Bethany