Design services are NOT a basic human need - STOP selling them that way! [001]

Sparked by recent reviews of architects' and landscape architects' websites/social media profiles, along with my discovery of Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" model, we discuss:

• Why marketing language centered strictly around services provided, years in business, degrees earned etc appeals to "basic" needs, at the commodity level.  This sets you up for competing primarily on price, risking a "race to the bottom" on fees;
• How you can go too far with "pie in the sky", existential, industry jargon, trying to seem smart or clever, only to alienate potential clients;
• The notion of a "sweet spot" in marketing language, where your values, beliefs and process can align with your potential clients' psychological needs.  After all, consumers buy based on EMOTION, not features or bullet points...