Hyperbole in Advertising…What’s with all the crap?

K…am a little irritated on this subject, so bear with me.  What is with all the really, really crappy verbiage people use to HYPE UP their MLM or network marketing opportunity.

Look…I'm a lifetime lover of network marketing and direct selling, but some of the stuff said either verbally or in the written form makes me seriously want to vomit.

Network Marketing is a phenomenal profession that if you treat SERIOUSLY and get COMMITTED to, can absolutely make you more money than you'll know what to do with (although almost everyone has no problem figuring out how to spend it).

This is an AGE OLD problem in this profession.  In other words, it isn't new!

The word “hype” is used in lots of areas and network marketing is no exception.

Here's what Wikipedia says about the definition of hyperbole:

Hyperbole (pronounced /haɪˈpɝːbəli/ hye-PER-buh-lee; “HYE-per-bowl” is a mispronunciation) comes from ancient Greek “ὑπερβολή” (meaning excess or exaggeration) and is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is rarely meant to be taken literally.

Hyperbole is used to create emphasis. It is a literary device often used in poetry and is frequently encountered in casual speech. It is also a visual technique in which a deliberate exaggeration of a particular part of an image is employed.

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So…my big issue isn't really with hyperbole in it's real form.  Someone could say something like, “I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse.”  When they say that, they simply mean they are really, really hungry, but not that they would actually EAT a horse.  Although I hear some people do.

My issue is in using HYPE to promote a business venture that adds to the “cheese” factor.  No one likes the “cheesy” person or the “creepy guy”.  And I can tell you this as well, NO ONE like an industry that is filled with CHEESE!

Look…I get the point.  We ALL have to be PROMOTIONAL in our language and ENTHUSIASTIC about what we do, but some of the junk…oohhhh, just kinda not good!

Here's what I mean.  In a recent magazine I read, this is some of the LANGUAGE used by advertisers:

“The Ultimate Forced Spillover System helps place people in your downline!!! Right where you always dreamed they would be! “

Who does this attract?  A lazy bum who is waiting for his group to be built for him?

“Be Part of the Next Billion Dollar Giant.”

Holy Smokes!  Really?  You mean…me?  ME?  I can be part of the NEXT billion dollar giant?  How cool!!!  How many times have I heard this one before?

“The World's First ‘Real Healthy Coffee' becomes MLM's #1 business opportunity!”

I just wanna know how THEY know that they're the best.  Why?  Cuz the two previous pages of ads claimed that fact!

This next one literally had me rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.  ROFLMAO…for REAL!

Here's the top of the ad:

“Tired of ‘bogus' advertisements promoting worthless business opportunities and hyped up with ‘me too' products from ‘smoke and mirror' companies where everyone is supposedly getting rich doing nothing?”

Then…it is followed with this HYPERBOLE:

 “HOT, Sizzling Binary!”

Now…I don't know about you, but in all my years of doing network marketing, I have never seen a hot, sizzling binary.  In fact, I don't even know what that is.  And…I would venture to guess that anyone reading that ad who had NO experience yet in network marketing would think that the phrase “hot, sizzling binary” would be some kind of odd computer string or maybe even a sex toy.  Not sure, but…definitely HIGH on the hype scale.

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So…what's the conclusion?

We all SHOULD be highly PROMOTIONAL in both our written and verbal form, but just be SMART about the phrases and words you choose to use.

Let's clean up our profession even more.  It's a great place to be…especially right now.

I believe as network marketers that we OWE IT to our fellow friends and neighbors to let them know that there are legitimate options to pursue outside of the normal “go to work for someone else” world.  Have it it!  I'm doing it!

Educate and promote responsibly.