Last week I read a news story about the last flight of the Titan Missile - For the 368th and last time, the United States launched a Titan rocket into space Wednesday. The blastoff of the 16-story, unmanned Titan IV signaled the end of an era that began in 1959, as the U.S. military converts to cheaper space boosters.What caught my eye is the last sentence of the story, speaking to the two replacement missiles ready to takeover the Titan duties - Both are designed to be cheaper, more reliable and less dependent on big support staffs.Pause.

What if I told you the products and services my company offers is cheaper than the competition? Would you Hear they're less expensive or would you hear they're inferior? Cheaper is word you hear all the time in business, marketing, and sales...I don't like it. To say you're cheaper than a competing solution leaves a negative connotation to many. My first thought is inferior.

When describing your offering you can be: less expensive, the most cost conscious, the greatest value, the price leader, etc. But you should never be cheaper. And you should never use that word in business, unless you're speaking to the inferior position of your competitor.

What do you think? Is cheaper a good word to use in marketing and sales?