I and We

[cocoy]

I've always used "I" on my web page and sales letter since I'm a one man operation. Sure. It shouts out small, one man business, but I think it's a big plus with my service. I've always stressed that I work with my clients personally to get their product done and to their satisfaction.

What are your thoughts on using "We" or "Us" when it's just a single person business? I'm assuming people use this to sound bigger??????

"Call us now!"
"We can do this for you!"

Do you think it'll have some negative effects in the long run when a potential customer finds out it's a 1 person company?

Is it really an advantage?

Just my random thought for the day. :cool:

[Harold Mansfield]

I use to do the "we" thing on everything, but as time went on I started figuring out, especially on my oldest blog, that people wanted a personal touch and liked knowing that they were talking to someone, rather than something.

But for store fronts and such, people trust an entity over a person that they have never met or seen on T.V.

So on blogs I use "I" and "me" , on affiliate sites I use "we".

[huggytree]

i recommend WE

just sounds better....people dont mind a small business, but when your 1 person people worry your too small....you may not be around for long....

use WE

[Dan Furman]

I use a combination of both on my site - I lead off with "we" and "us", but I also talk in the "I" quite often. The business is essentially "me" though, so it kinda works for me.

[Steve B]

I mostly use we. But, I'm trying to get people comfortable that I won't always be the one they see (I now have a few employees). But, I used "we" when it was just me too.

[vangogh]

I used to make myself sound bigger than I was. All that led to was people looking for a bigger company and when they called me we weren't a good fit. I prefer using 'I' and 'me' now because it better reflects what the visitor will find when they get in touch.

I do use 'we' a lot, but in the sense of we being me and you. I think that it helps create a bond and a we're in this together sort of thing. I think it might also help a prospective client envision us working together before they've even contacted me.

[billbenson]

I think its one of those "depends" things. I try to give the impression of a large company or I would loose most of my business. When the dog barks while I'm on the phone, I tell the customer I'm a remote employee. A customer asked for a discount on a $13k quote today. I said I'd have to check with my boss. I'll get back to her tomorrow with the discount contingent on prepaid terms. I'm a one man show.

That all might sound very sneaky, but nobody is going to place an order for thousands of dollars or even hundreds of dollars from a one man show in a different state. Not on a credit card anyway. And the truth be known, they are better off with me because I know the product better than the larger distributors who handle hundreds of products.

[Steve B]

I know VG is probably getting a little nervous about this analogy - but customers will sometimes worry about what happens if the "one man show" gets hit by a bus?

Are you being extra careful at intersections Steve?

[vangogh]

I'm always careful. Are you trying to jinx me? All this talk about buses. If it means anything we only have small buses here in Boulder with cute names like the Hop, Skip, and Jump. But just in case I do make sure all my clients have access to their sites. I make sure they sign up for things and so have the login info or can get it easily enough. And I know any web developer after me would know how to get that info just in case.

[Dan Furman]

That all might sound very sneaky, but nobody is going to place an order for thousands of dollars or even hundreds of dollars from a one man show in a different state. Not on a credit card anyway.

Don't mean to disagree, but that's not true. I get it all the time.

Not only that, I often get hundreds / thousands on a CC without even speaking to anyone. Just e-mail / proposal / payment.

[KristineS]

I use we but that's because I work for companies and there are more people than just me. So when I say "we" on a website I'm talking about me and the other employees.

If it were just me, and even in the blogs that I write for the companies, I use I a lot. Customer like to feel personally connected. Letting them feel like they know and understand someone who works for the company can be a very positive thing.

I guess the best thing is to use a mix. In my personal opinion, for what it's worth, if you're small it's better to say you're small. I'd rather know up front than think I'm dealing with a company and find out later it's some guy in his garage. Then I feel like I've been misled.

That's just me though.

[cbscreative]

I agree it is one of those "it depends" issues. If you're a one person show using drop shippers, you are still a "we" because others are supporting your business while you essentially provide a store and marketing.

As for me, I respond simialr to what Dan and vangogh have said. I usually say "we" because I can draw on the resources of others when I need to, and I have a qualified daughter in college who helps when needed. But it is still mostly me, and I still play the role of production manager regardless. Like vangogh, I have gone much more casual with my site content to provide the distinct impression that I am a small operation, but qualified to handle the work. There are many places where I use "I" because it is me doing the writing, and it adds the personal touch they can expect when I serve them as a client.

Since "we" only requires two or more people, I agree that the main consideration is to create an accurate representation of what the customer or client can expect. Just like vangogh pointed out, the expectations must match if you want to be successful. In a case like bill's, if he can provide as good or better service than a competitor with a larger office, then he must instill that confidence in his clients. If he focuses on the benefits of his service, and delivers, it's doubtful anyone will even ask about the size of his office. I don't advocate lying, but putting the emphasis on what is important to the customer is key.

Edit: Kristine makes an excellent point too, especially when talking about blogs. People connect with other people and being personal by using "I" in many situations is a good thing. Even a newsletter written by someone from a large corporation is often more effective if "I" is used by the author.

[billbenson]

Difference is Dan, you are the company and produce the product. I'm representing a company and provide after sale support among other things. My customer base thinks I'm a multimillion dollar distributorship. I don't try to dissuade them from that opinion. In fact, the main reason I'm doing well at this is the customers have that perception.