Semantics and rhetoric play integral parts of any marketing campaign, not surprisingly, so you’ll find that the careful choice of words is incredibly important in all your advertising and web copy.

Recently, I came across a “promise” from a certain corporate consulting business that really didn’t promise anything. The wording on the front page of the website read: “We guarantee we will increase your sales by up to 300% or more in the first month.”

That sounds like a bold claim, but think about what they are really saying. Your sales can be increased by up to 300%, which means it could be low as 0%. Your sales can also be increased by more than 300%, according to this claim. In effect, the guarantee is saying that your sales could increase by any amount between negative infinity and positive infinity, a promise that promises nothing.

Is this deceptive? Perhaps, but it goes to show you that careful wording of any and all of your marketing copy can not only attract new customers, but also protect you in case you don’t achieve the results that are desired.