Jun 01 2009
Get it Free from Complimentary Offers by Susan Rich, guest writer
“If it’s FREE, how come you’re calling it “complimentary?”
Good question – and that’s what our topic is today. The most eye-catching, heart-pounding, “What are they giving me?” word in the English language is FREE.
Free is a four-letter word. It’s bold. It’s catchy. It’s memorable.
Free snags attention and helps us remember your offer.
Our ears perk up when we hear the announcer shout, “It’s Free!”
And so do our eyes: We want free gifts. Free time. A life free of hardship.
Free is also statistically proven to drive action.
That’s why the word gets used time and time again.
Free is not a silly, low-brow word…so how come it falls prey to “complimentary?”
The Case Against Complimentary:
It has 13 characters and five syllables. That makes it one of the longer words in everyday language. Swap it out for its synonym (free!) and your writing will flow smoothly.
It doesn’t pass the say it/write it test: We don’t go around telling potential customers that we offer a complimentary consultation – we tell them it’s FREE. Rhythmic writing reads like the spoken word.
It’s easy to misspell: Swap the “i” out for an “e” and you could be talking about contrasting colors that, when blended, become neutral. Spell-check won’t catch that error, but your reader might.
Complimentary is a visual mouthful. You’ll never, ever see it in a headline…so why use it at all?
Not convinced? Check out the definition of the word:
Complimentary: Given free as a courtesy or favor.
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