Positive perspectives in communication

I’m a big believer in thinking positive. It works pretty well in life, because most of the time negative thinking won’t change anything anyway. You might as well be happy.

But what about professional communications and content? Are there times when going negative pays off?

I guess some people think so, because negativity abounds. Political attack ads and articles. Digs at the competition in marketing. Angry bloggers. Cranky tweeters. We’ve all seen them.

It seems to work, at least for some people. After all, negative campaign ads can deliver victories. Bloggers and tweeters with a bad attitude and a bone to pick garner multitudes of fans.

Frankly, I don’t get it. I mean, we can all have our days. I certainly can. And relentless cheeriness can be as annoying as consistent crankiness. Not every voice of opposition is a bad thing. Sometimes it needs to be heard.

But when I see ads, brands or personalities that are nothing but negative, I quickly tune them out. I don’t want to hear how terrible everyone or everything else is. Tell me what’s good about your product or your brand or your life.

In a world that sometimes seems perpetually petulant, plenty of people are going to focus on the negative.

So if you really want to make a point, why not accentuate the positive? It may seem like you have to work harder to be heard above the din of complaints. But I think you’ll stand out for one simple reason: Most people would rather be happy than not.