This week, I have already received several, ineffective “old school” marketing messages, based around the same tired, generic format. I wonder if you get these sales pitches too?
The person introduces themselves to you and then asks, “how can I help you?” The subtext here, is that the person wants you to believe that they are offering this help out of the goodness of their heart and not as part of a commercial transaction. Money, prices or fees are never mentioned – Just the mysterious offer of help, from a stranger who knows nothing about you or your business or your needs.
They want you to think of them the way you would, if your car had broke down miles away from anywhere and they kindly stopped to offer you a lift.
Of course, in this case, they were not just driving by – you were deliberately targeted for marketing purposes. They know and you know that in reality, they are actually looking to make you a customer.
Like most people, I cringe when someone tries to market to me under this kind of false pretence. I also wonder what they believe they will achieve, by starting off a commercial dialogue, with both parties aware that there’s an unspoken, yet blindingly obvious ulterior motive in play.
If you want to help someone, that’s great. If you want to market to someone, that’s great too. But please, don’t pretend to be doing one thing when in reality, you are doing the other. The marketplace is not stupid.
IMPORTANT: If you want to make more sales, boost your profits and grow an amazing business, this will help you!