Author: Ryan Dolotallas

I’m about to buy a new car in Chicago and ship it to my hometown, St. Louis (see last week’s email about the car salesman who yelled at me when I told him I wasn’t buying his car). 

I requested shipping bids through an online brokerage and received dozens of offers ranging from $250 to $400. 

I’m going with the $400 bid. Why? Because the shipper who bid $400 was the only one who explained her price. 

I won’t bore you with her explanation. I’ll simply say I learned a lot, and I appreciated the education. 

Frankly, I would probably be OK with one of the lower-cost bidders. They’re all insured, and I have schedule flexibility. 

But I trust and I’m more comfortable with the $400 bidder because she said, “…because…” 

“Our bid is probably a bit higher than others because…” she said. 

Try “because” in your business. It can work wonders. 

“We’re raising our prices because…” (You’ll be surprised how few of your customers flinch and how many commend you). 

“I’m sorry we can’t do that for you because…” (They may be disappointed, but they’ll appreciate you more the explanation.)

“We’re having a sale because…” (You’ll sell more than if you simply trumpet the sale with no explanation.)

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me  at  tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

A car salesman yelled at me the other day.

He called to ask whether I was still interested in the car I test-drove with him.

I told him I was leaning toward another car, which I named.

“Have you read the Consumer Reports article about that car!?” he barked.

(He may as well have said, “What are you, some kind of idiot? You’d be a fool to buy that car!”)

“No,” I mumbled, “I haven’t read it.”

“Well you should,” he said sternly. “And then we should talk again.”

“Fat chance!” I thought.

I don’t get it when salespeople try to browbeat and belittle prospects.

I guess that  works for some salespeople.

But it doesn’t work on me.

The irony in this case: I told him I was leaning toward the other car, not certain to buy it.

The deal for my favored car may fall through. But if that happens, I’m not crawling back to the barking salesman.

Here’s what works with me (and works best for prospects in most situations): Mutual respect.

Barking like this salesman is blatant disrespect. It seems like a no-brainer no-no to me.

The challenge for us non-barkers is to refrain from more subtle forms of disrespect…

…Talking over prospects instead of listening…

…Assuming that we have “just the ticket” for a prospect when we have no understanding of the prospect’s aspirations and fears…

…emphasizing features instead of benefits.

Yeah, I said it… Emphasizing features instead of benefits is a form of disrespect. When we do this (and we’ve all done it), we put ourselves and our products at the center of the story. The prospects and the outcomes they desire become secondary.

Putting yourself first and your prospect second is a subtle form of disrespect.

It may be less blatant than barking at a prospect.

But subtle disrespect is still disrespect. The more you do it, the less you’ll sell.

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me  at  tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

Last week, I sent this email about a repulsive person (Charles Manson) who did repulsive things (you know).

One of my subscribers replied and told me my email was “repulsive” and that she was opting-out from my list.  

I get it.

I suggested that marketers could learn a thing or two from Manson about how to woo prospects. In retrospect, citing psychopaths as “inspiration” is bad form.

I didn’t mean to make light of his actions…

…and, I certainly didn’t mean to suggest that he’s a role-model. 

In fact, as I noted in that email, Manson ultimately got it “way wrong.” 

So this follow-up email is a reminder that you should not market like Manson. 

Like Manson, many marketers are great at wooing prospects with empathy and big promises. 

But when it comes to fulfilling those promises, many marketers fail. They break the promise. They deliver something the buyer didn’t want, need or expect. 

Too many marketers trick people into acting. They convince prospects to buy products or services that won’t help them. They simply want to close the sale. 

I wrote this last week, and I’ll repeat it here because it’s a lesson worth repeating: 

Like Manson, we should try to understand our prospects. We should demonstrate empathy.

Unlike Manson, we should present a plan that serves the customer, that truly fulfills and protects. This means delivering products and services that improve a customer’s lot.

That’s the way to build a business.

Thanks for reading.  

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me  at  tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

I don’t usually turn to psychopathic killers for marketing inspiration.

But sometimes inspiration comes from where you least expect it.

So let’s get right to some lessons from…

…ummm…

…Charles Manson.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of grisly murders committed by members of Manson’s “family.”

Over the last few weeks, television networks flooded the airwaves with news stories and documentaries about Manson.

I watched some. This is what I learned…

Manson recruited family members by targeting lonely, vulnerable young people.

He wooed them by saying, “I know you. I get you. I feel what you feel.”

One of the women who participated in the murders was interviewed later in prison. She said she fell for Manson after he told her, “We’re ugly.”

If you’re taking notes, the lesson here is not, “Attract prospects by criticizing their appearance.”

The lesson here is about empathy.

Manson said to her, “You’re ugly…just like I am. I know what you’re going through. I share your emotions. I feel your pain. I share your desires.”

As she tells it, she melted into his arms.

Manson demonstrated and then positioned himself as a trusted guide. He said, in effect, I can lead you to fulfill your desires and protect you from pain.

So far, that’s a pretty good template for marketers: Understand your prospects, demonstrate empathy, promise to be a guide to fulfill and protect…

…And then deliver a plan that keeps that promise.

For Manson, the plan was to commit grisly murders that would exact revenge on “pigs” and spark a bloody race war.

Bad plan. Turns out that stabbing and shooting innocents was not the ticket for those lonely, vulnerable young people.

Manson got the “prospect attraction” part right. But he got the promise fulfillment part wrong. Way wrong!

Thankfully, we’re not psychopaths! We’re ethical marketers.

Like Manson, we should try to understand our prospects. We should demonstrate empathy.

Unlike Manson, we should present a plan that serves the customer, that truly fulfills and protects. This means delivering products and services that improve a customer’s lot.

That’s the way to build a business and to stay out of prison. 

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me  at  tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.

I don’t usually turn to psychopathic killers for marketing inspiration.

But sometimes inspiration comes from where you least expect it.

So let’s get right to some lessons from…

…ummm…

…Charles Manson.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of grizzly murders committed by members of Manson’s “family.”

Over the last few weeks, television networks flooded the airwaves with news stories and documentaries about Manson.

I watched some. This is what I learned…

Manson recruited family members by targeting lonely, vulnerable young people.

He wooed them by saying, “I know you. I get you. I feel what you feel.”

One of the women who participated in the murders was interviewed later in prison. She said she fell for Manson after he told her, “We’re ugly.”

If you’re taking notes, the lesson here is not, “Attract prospects by criticizing their appearance.”

The lesson here is about empathy.

Manson said to her, “You’re ugly…just like I am. I know what you’re going through. I share your emotions. I feel your pain. I share your desires.”

As she tells it, she melted into his arms.

Manson demonstrated and then positioned himself as a trusted guide. He said, in effect, I can lead you to fulfill your desires and protect you from pain.

So far, that’s a pretty good template for marketers: Understand your prospects, demonstrate empathy, promise to be a guide to fulfill and protect…

…And then deliver a plan that keeps that promise.

For Manson, the plan was to commit grizzly murders that would exact revenge on “pigs” and spark a bloody race war.

Bad plan. Turns out that stabbing and shooting innocents was not the ticket for those lonely, vulnerable young people.

Manson got the “prospect attraction” part right. But he got the promise fulfillment part wrong. Way wrong!

Thankfully, we’re not psychopaths! We’re ethical marketers.

Like Manson, we should try to understand our prospects. We should demonstrate empathy.

Unlike Manson, we should present a plan that serves the customer, that truly fulfills and protects. This means delivering products and services that improve a customer’s lot.

That’s the way to build a business and to stay out of prison. 

Tom
MarketVolt

p.s. We help businesses figure out what they sell. Then we help them identify and connect with their target markets so people will listen to what you’re saying. If you want to discuss how to make it happen for your business, email me  at  tom@marketvolt.com. For no charge and no strings attached, we’ll discuss with you how you’re building email lists, generating new leads and generally finding and connecting with prospects.

p.p.s. If you like these emails, please do me this favor: Forward this to someone who might also enjoy it and encourage them to sign up for future emails on our website at MarketVolt.com.