Seasoned investors read right over this kind of hollow puffery in business plans. They’re to the point that they expect entrepreneurs and business owners seeking investment monies to say anything and everything in an attempt to impress them.

In fact, one of the great pioneers of action-oriented advertising, Claude Hopkins (Tested Advertising Methods: http://testedmethods.bizplansecrets.com) often drew this analogy to describe the use of general, non-provable, inane claims in advertising and I’ve found it equally applicable to writing business plans: "Platitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water off a duck's back. They make no impression whatsoever."

Aren’t puffery, platitudes, and generalities all the same thing? You bet they are. And if you believe Mr. Hopkins, these kinds of statements roll off the human understanding like water off a duck's back. They make no impression whatsoever and they don't build credibility either. I don't know about you but if I'm spending my money and time writing a business plan to raise capital for my business, I want it to make an impression!

Here are some other examples I’ve seen in business plans. A commercial realty company says, "We Go The Extra Mile For Our Clients." It's puffery. How about this wonderful statement regarding a consulting firm’s competitive advantages ..."Knowledge. Expertise. Determination." That’s it. That's the first line! That's their big "hook" to get investors to part with their money and back the firm’s business plan. They might as well not list any competitive advantages.

Then there’s the construction management company that claims, "We fine tune the process to create unique building solutions that function better, cost less, and open sooner." Don't get me wrong. All of these sound like fine benefits. But do you really think investors believe this? If you play the puffery game, it can cost you your credibility, lengthen or even prevent you from getting funded. Avoid these kinds of statements in your business plan - they make no impression whatsoever on potential investors.

Now, suppose this construction management company explained their “unique” process, provided cost comparisons, and gave the actual length of time to complete their last twenty projects against industry standards for similar projects. And, suppose they provided customer testimonials to back their figures. Would this be more believable? More convincing? Would they improve your credibility?

See the best remedy for puffery is hard verifiable facts and evidence. The same type of facts and evidence that you would want a defense attorney to present to a judge and jury on your behalf if you were on trail and facing death row.

Okay, I think we beat puffery to death already; it's pretty straightforward. To summarize, let me repeat Claude Hopkins’ quote: "Platitudes and generalities roll off the human understanding like water off a duck's back. They make no impression whatsoever." Weed out platitudes and generalities from your business plan with the puffery sensor and establish credibility. As you write or review your business plan simply ask yourself, "Will my potential investors really believe this statement?" If the answer is no, dig deeper for the evidence that will convince them.