Sadly, these sorts of mistakes are the result of the major misconception that you have to be cold and impersonal in your copy if you want to seem professional. If you`re guilty of this copywriting crime, you probably learned this rule from a well-meaning, but misguided communicator who doesn`t understand that business writing is designed to sell.

But fear not -- there`s no reason for your B to B marketing to be bland and ineffective. You just need to know what to look out for. In this article, I`ve outlined the 3 copywriting blunders that happen the most and can be easily avoided in the future.

These B to B marketing mistakes include:

1. Avoiding use of the word "you" in your copy. Apparently many companies are under the impression that business people like their human sides to be ignored -- to which I say, Au contraire.

Last I checked, most of us in the business world still want to feel included in the copy we read. Wearing a suit or working for a large corporation doesn`t magically turn that need to connect off. Speak to the person directly using the words "you" and "your," and your results will be stronger.

2. Using technospeak when user-friendly copy better suits the non-technical audience. Sure, some people in your industry know what the word "interoperability" means. But they`re rare and probably aren`t the ones making the marketing decisions.

To illustrate my point, I would invite you to consider this:

I am a professional copywriter and always aim to deliver accurate copy to my company`s clients. However, given that this article is targeted to help a general business audience, it`s fair to say it might not make sense for me to start waxing on here about unclear antecedents and the blight that is the dangling participle, even if I am something of a grammar fanatic in my own little microcosm of reality.

The lesson here is that it`s probably best to leave the shop talk in the shop and write for your customers using the words in their vocabulary.

3. Forgetting to ask prospects to buy what you`re offering! Isn`t the point of B to B marketing to get business people to purchase what you`re selling? There is no need to be over the top with your call-to-action, but it is important that you include one.

If you`re hesitant to ask for the buy, keep in mind that most business people are aware they`re being sold to the moment they read promotional materials and accept this as a part of doing business.

Selling to "timid" office workers? Find a way in your copy to speak to their hearts, then ask them politely to consider what you have to offer.

Is your audience a group of somewhat stuffy financial types? Show them the financial benefit of what you`re offering, as well as what they`ll save when they purchase from you. Then ask them to buy in a way that appeals to their analytical minds.

A word of caution: If your B to B marketing is targeted toward professional marketers, that`s even more reason to urge readers to purchase; if you don`t, they might not take action because of their over-exposure to marketing messages of all kinds. Just use the approach best-suited to the type of marketing that they handle every day.

The bottom line? Don`t forget to ask people to take action, regardless of what that action is.

Of course, there are other ways to boost the results of your B to B marketing, but these copywriting tips will have you headed in the right direction in no time flat. Make sure to use them for all of your upcoming campaigns.