The 2011 economic attitude is often called the Age of Cynicism, the Post-Trust Era, even the Post-Madoff Era. In other words, consumers likely do not believe what you say.

Since the 2008 market meltdown, people look at business (including your business) in a very different way. Consumers have been burned too many times and now do not easily trust any business message. When they see a hint of exaggeration, one-way messaging, or even a hint of "persuasiveness" their BS detectors pop up. Consumers learned well, and business taught them what persuasion looks like.

The Point. The point is, your target markets are more skeptical of your messages than at any other time in recent generations. How you respond to this will likely determine your ability to succeed in the coming months.