What's your website communication style?

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE

“Where’s your coat? It’s chilly out there (and you are making me uncomfortable).”

AGGRESSIVE

“There is no way you aren’t cold. Put on the darn coat.”

ASSERTIVE

“We’re going to be outside for a bit, and it may get windy. If you’d like a coat, you know where to find one.” 

PASSIVE

[Takes a coat, regardless of comfort. Sweats regretfully].

Which of these sounds most like your mother? Your salespeople? You?

At the heart of those examples, it has less to do with a coat than you think. It’s about communicating a specific need or objective with varying degrees of control, influence, respect, and understanding. Each one evokes a different response from the intended target.

Now…which one of these sounds like your website?

Aggressive websites love peppering a plan with bullets and exclamation points (usually several in a row). They underline every pain point (literally) and usually present a do-or-die approach.

Passive websites take a while to say what they want to say and refuse to ask for the sale, forcing you to scroll forever only to have to click on the contact link.

Passive-aggressive websites use tactics on pop-ups like, “Yes, sign me up for discounts!” or “No, I love spending more money than I need to.”

Assertive brands make the plan known and invite you to join in when you’re ready.

Guess which style works best?

Of course, there’s a time and place for all kinds of communication styles. If you’re passionate about what you and the problems you solve, you can absolutely be more aggressive—especially when important things are at take. You can even passive-aggressive (as long as you can have a self-deprecating sense of humor about it).

I can’t think of a single reason why you should be passive.

For the most part, though, your website should be predominately in the assertive style—and not just because it’s more confident and professional. Speaking and behaving assertively has many benefits, from creating win-win situations to improving stress levels, self-esteem, decision-making skills, and relationships.

The more you can practice this in your internal and external business messaging, the easier it becomes for you (and your teams) to speak assertively in general. And the ripple effect there is amazing.

In the next blog, we’ll talk more about how to communicate with others in a way that will be warmly received—no matter how many layers you have on.