Forget the meaningless used words and empty promises．From the time marketing began, there has never been a shortage of self-appointed experts who claim to have identified the words that will unlock your customers’ wallets．In the Internet age their advice is even easier to get．They promise that words such as “you,” “guarantee,” “easy,” “limited-time,” and the old standby, “free,” will produce surefire results．If only it were that simple．
As a smart business person, you probably know that there are no such things as magic words．But there’s something else you should know：Not only do magic advertising words not exist, several of them actually work against you．And chances are, you’re using at least one of them in your advertising now．
Here are the advertising words you should never use：
Quality
This may be the most overused word in advertising, which is the primary reason why you should stay away from it．What exactly does “quality” mean?In a Lexus, it may mean hand-crafted finishes, supple seats, or a smooth ride．In a Hyundai, it’s more about the extended warranty than anything．
The point is this：every product worth buying is a quality product．It may be high-priced quality or it may be low-priced quality, but it’s quality either way．That means every company believes it can use the word “quality” in its advertising．Too many have, and as a result, now it has become just seven empty letters．
Value
Like quality, value has been ruined by overuse．Go back to the Lexus and the Hyundai examples－which car is the better value?It depends on the buyer, on the purchase occasion, and on what features and benefits value is being judged．Both vehicles are good values depending on the purchase context．
Or take another industry, retail：Wal-Mart provides good value, but so does Tiffany．Value, like quality, is in the eye of the beholder, and every product or service has its own value equation．Saying “we provide the best value” is, therefore, virtually meaningless．
(1)
What does the underlined word “surefire” in the first paragraph mean？
[ ]
A．
certain
B．
successful
C．
unexpected
D．
unbelievable
(2)
If you are a smart business person, ________．
[ ]
A．
you should learn how to show promises
B．
you should ask self-appointed experts for advice
C．
you should follow the advice from the internet
D．
you should forget some ‘magic’ words
(3)
According to the writer, quality cannot be used for a primary reason that ________．
[ ]
A．
no one knows what quality exactly means
B．
every product is a high quality product
C．
it is meaningless and overused
D．
it has become seven letters and it is unacceptable
(4)
From reading the whole passage we know the writer thinks ________．
[ ]
A．
quality and value are very important to products
B．
no one can exactly judge which product has the better value
C．
every product that is worth buying is high-priced quality
D．
with the development of ads, we need more experts in advertising
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