Businesses, bloggers, and other people writing things on the internets for marketing:
As consumers, we ALL know you want us to buy your shit. In fact, you may find a certain phrase through this entirety of this blog that tends to be the antithesis of the point im trying to make. Whatever widget it is or whatever idea you’re driving at, we get it. You’re excited and you want to share. There are a few words that are critical to internalize. Words like: tact, altruism, and finesse... in that order.
Going back to my sales roots it was ingrained in me early on that people do business with those that they know, like, and trust. Think about who you would prefer to make purchases from? It’s second nature really, do you prefer the jerk that crams his pitch down your throat or the one who finds out about why you might be interested in the product and tailors his pitch to you? Be tactful in your approach when crafting your message. If you are channeling your inner Billy Mayes that day I hope your product is sham-wow and not a software company.
Social media takes this concept to the next level. It’s one thing to be face to face with someone, where you can read body language or express disinterest with your own subtle clues through conversation. Text, however, is left to interpretation and the thinly veiled mask of “oh, here is a little snippet of potentially meaningful information, by the way… buy my shit” is more off putting than just coming out and asking for the sale. Granted, there is a time to include a call to action, but it is much further down the line in this type of interaction. Share your message because it is valuable. Bring meaning to the readership of the content you’re creating by acting altruistically.
If you truly want to build a following around your product it takes time. If you’re at CES and you’re selling iPhone cases, then sure, “buy my shit” is the play to use. However, like most companies, especially startups, it is crucial to invest time to share the knowledge you’ve accumulated that makes you the expert in your field. You had all of these experiences invested all of your time to arrive at creating the product you did today and you have an unlimited medium to share that knowledge with me as a consumer to sway me into thinking you are THE expert in your field. Why short change yourself by simply saying… ok ok you know by now. This is where the finesse aspect comes into play. Selling is an art. Knowing when to ask for the sale or just share what you have to say takes practice and balance and is key to any well thought message.
Take the time to share why you are so passionate about what you do, consistently. Share it because you actually do care and people will notice. Those same people will support you for many endeavors to come instead of just, you got it, buying your shit.