Critique.....

The following was used as part of an internet advertising company's appeal to businesses: "Furniture Depot employed our internet advertising company to help. Since then its sales increased by 10% over last year's totals. Furniture Depot's success demonstrates how using our internet services can increase your profitability."

There are a number of underlying unknown assumptions that can weaken the claim of the Internet Advertising Company:

• It is very well possible that the kind of internet service that is provided by the internet company is specifically suited to the business of Furniture depot.
• The statement given is very vague as the 10 percent growth of sales, the actual figures of Furniture depot might still be below the break even point.
• Also, the success of Furniture Depot can be attributed to any reason other than the internet advertising services and the internet company might be trying to leverage on this fact.
• We have no proof of the genuineness of the claim as stated by the internet company; the claim might well be refuted by the Furniture Depot.

If the claim of the internet services company is accompanied with the facts and figures to justify the claim, the statement can become very cogent in nature. The internet services company must add a statement from the authorized Furniture Depot officials, so that the event of 10 percent growth is confirmed. Some idea of the generic design of the services provided may prove the service to be more marketable. It should also be stated whether the service can be customized as per the specific needs of an organization. This will enable the internet services company to view a larger market segment. The internet services company should also provide the performance of the Furniture Depot over the years, so that the comparison and trends, if any, can be evened out. This will enhance the genuineness of the claim as figures are always easier to comprehend and believe.

Any statement that is given out to enhance the marketability of a product or service must be such that it addresses all the underlying assumptions. This is imperative for the growth and success of an organization as even one odd negative conclusion affects the image and profitability of an organization. Any claim must be justified by facts and figures that consider the various possible scenarios.