Kranz On Copy: Insights and answers on copywriting and writing copy

Several years ago I collaborated with a Web usability expert to write Web copy and a series of e-mails promoting his seminars. After submitting my copy, I got his edits -- which were minor -- made the necessary changes, then resubmitted the deck.

Done deal, right? Wrong. A few days later, the expert's "marketing director" (she edited the company newsletter) submitted a few edits of her own. OK. I made those and sent the copy on its way.

Two days later I got the copy deck again, marked with a rainbow of corrections from half a dozen people -- not one of them an experienced marketer, salesman or copywriter. Most of the suggested changes were entirely arbitrary and subjective, a matter of "not liking" one word or another, or "not being comfortable" with this or that phrase. Worse, many of the suggested edits contradicted each other, leaving me with the unenviable task of assigning priorities, a political time-bomb just ticking away.

I called the marketing director to sort this all out. Why are we extending the rounds of edits after the president of the company and his marketing director have already given their approvals? Why are people who have no knowledge of this particularly initiative, or of marketing in general, given authority to make copy edits? Why are we encouraging unwelcome delays by soliciting unnecessary and misleading opinions? Simply put, why are so many chefs stirring this broth?

"Because," the marketing director said indignantly, "we're committed to excellence."

Ah, of course. What was I thinking? Perhaps no other business cliche has wrecked more havoc than the misguided pursuit of that vague, intangible and ever elusive phantom, "excellence."

My two cents: If you really want to achieve "excellence" and not just bow before the Golden Calf of Business BS, you have to define excellence by observable, measurable qualities or standards, then assign responsibility for meeting those standards to specific individuals. Anything less is just a game of office footsy.

Now here's the big punchline: You know what the original seminars were all about? Executing great ideas. How? By establishing observable goals. By setting measurable standards. By being wary of subjective opinions. By assigning individual responsibilities.

Cobblers. Sons. Shoes. Somewhere there's a parable in all this...