The Redefinition Technique
Remove product objections by reframing drawbacks as advantages or simplifying complexity
Redefinition is the process of giving a new definition to your product or its attributes. It addresses three categories of product handicap: products that are (or sound) too complicated, products that are not important enough, and products that cost too much. The technique says 'the product is this rather than that,' removing roadblocks before the prospect even knows they exist.
The simplest form is concept-judo: a complete reversal that turns a liability into an asset. Lifebuoy soap's horrible medicinal odor was redefined as proof of its odor-destroying power through the famous B.O. campaign. More complex redefinitions use gradualization to systematically replace the prospect's mental categories: 'repairs' become 'adjustments,' 'breakdowns' become 'warning signals,' and 'repairman skills' become '5 minutes a week of simple care.'
Redefinition works through three specific mechanisms: Simplification (making complex products seem easy), Importance Expansion (making niche products seem universally relevant), and Value Restructuring (making expensive products seem like bargains by redefining what you are comparing them to).
- Wherever you can use the flip-flop method (turning a liability into an asset), do so
- Redefinition should remove the roadblock before the prospect even knows it exists
- Replace threatening words with comfortable synonyms: 'repairs' becomes 'adjustments,' 'breakdowns' becomes 'warning signals'
- A single word substitution at the right moment can be the difference between sale and rejection
- Redefinition integrates with gradualization -- it is done incrementally, not in a single declaration
- Identify the Specific Objection or DrawbackDetermine exactly what about your product repels prospects. Is it too complicated (they fear they cannot use it)? Too unimportant (the appeal is too narrow)? Too expensive (they cannot justify the price)? Or does it have a specific negative attribute (like Lifebuoy's medicinal smell)?Pro tipThe drawback is often not what you think. Test by watching where prospects drop out of the buying process -- the drop-off point reveals the objection.
- Choose the Appropriate Redefinition StrategyFor concept-judo (simple reversal), flip the drawback into an advantage with a single reframe. For complexity, use simplification through analogy and word substitution. For narrow importance, expand the definition of who needs the product. For high price, restructure what the prospect is comparing the price to.Pro tipThe best redefinition feels effortless and obvious in hindsight. If you have to argue for the redefinition, it is not strong enough. The new definition should feel like a revelation.
- Embed the Redefinition Gradually in the CopyDo not announce the redefinition directly. Instead, use the techniques of gradualization to introduce new vocabulary and new mental frames incrementally. Each paragraph should shift the prospect's definition a little further toward your desired frame, so that by the time they encounter the previously-objectionable concept, it has already been redefined.Pro tipTrack every word in your copy that touches the objection. Replace each threatening instance with a redefined synonym. Never use the old threatening word until you have fully established the new frame.WarningAnnouncing the redefinition directly ('This product is not really complicated -- it is simple!') triggers contradiction rather than acceptance. The redefinition must be demonstrated through the structure of your argument, not declared.
Lifebuoy soap had excellent cleaning power but a horrible medicinal odor that repelled consumers. The odor could not be removed without destroying the cleaning power. The copywriter completely reversed the perception: first, they focused attention on body odor (B.O.) as a social offense. Then they argued that only a soap powerful enough to have a strong medicinal odor could destroy B.O. The very attribute that was the product's biggest liability became its most compelling proof of effectiveness.
Schwartz identified this as a distinct technique by studying how products with built-in handicaps could still succeed. The Lifebuoy B.O. campaign's complete reversal of a medicinal-odor liability into a proof-of-power asset was his prototypical example. He then expanded the technique by analyzing how the TV repair manual ad redefined 'repairs' into 'simple adjustments' through careful word substitution.