The Importance of Being Earnest – Why Being Authentic Will Help You Sell
| Share |
You know how, when you’re aware of something, it loses it’s affect on you? Like subliminal advertising, the sales pitch loses its affect when you’re aware of it happening. We’ve become so jaded and hyper-aware, that we can smell a sales pitch coming a mile away, and it automatically makes us unreceptive to the information.
Let’s give a bricks-and-mortar example of this: If you get a salesperson who comes on too hard, saying anything and everything to get you to buy, you get put-off and are unlikely to buy from him, because you know he just wants to make a sale. In fact, you probably can’t get away from him fast enough, and you don’t believe a single thing he says.
But what if we’re having a genuine conversation with someone that may or may not have anything to do with the products available? He seems genuinely interested in having the conversation, but not that he’s pushing a sale. He’s informative, and will gladly give you as much information as possible about the products.
Who are you more likely to buy from? Even if you don’t buy that day, but think a bout it for while and then go back, wouldn’t you make a point of going back to the one you’ve developed a relationship with?
This is the crux of being authentic in your sales.
I mean, c’mon, everyone knows you want to sell products. No one is doing this for their health. You’re out to make a sale. But coming on with a hard sale and telling people about how it’s the best thing ever and that their puppy will die if they don’t buy it is not going to cut it.
People’s natural skepticism is at an all-time high. So instead of an insincere sales pitch, provide information. Tell them that you think this is a great product, and why. Give them as much information as you possibly can, testimonials, detailed product info, everything you can think of, but don’t try to convince them to buy. Just give them all the information they need to make the decision for themselves.
Make sure that it comes across that you genuinely believe in the product or service you’re promoting. It also ties in to establishing yourself as an authority. Does an authority on something try to shill products? No, but they could certainly have them available if someone was interested….
I found a couple other great pieces of content on this as well…
So, now you need to tell me… do you believe this to be true or am i blowing smoke up your you-know-what?
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
It does seem that the more information you give the more likely you will make a sale. That is probably because people are actually worrying about not wasting money.
I think it could go the other way. Nowadays there a lot of fake weightloss blogs that are cracking a lot of sales. Fortunately ftc started out nuking them all…
Thanks John for the info
I definitely agree that when you realize it, it loses is affect–like all those infomercials that are trying to sell a ridiculous product you know will break after the first use..
Or how the impact of a movie (scary/action) is not the same after the first time..
I think I agree with Melvin, in part. Generally speaking, Honesty and Integrity are still the best policy. Often, the ‘relationship’ is important to the prospective customer, but often times, the customers more interested in just the info (its presentation being more key) than building a relationship with the site/business.
None the less, if your info is garbage, it’ll not be found of much use to anyone. I think a happy mix of both is prudent in most markets. Have an ‘image’ be honest and trustworthy, but also get to the point and tell the customer what they want to know.
Good discussion JC,
Jeromy (AKA Hillbilly)
The pushy salesman of old is the spammy website of new.
Hi, Yes, the classic presell is the genuine way. Warming up the client etc. It should be slow and there should be lots of giving from the salesman before taking on the sale! Google presell with lots of great free software. But the guy who made a comment about shallow sites had a point. These days sometimes, some people respond to the fake and frothy. Some of the most popular sites are frothy and shallow. Human nature taken as a whole is pretty shallow and thinks short term.
Michael
Cats and Computers
Thanks for the pingback to our post on Web Marketing Therapy John!! We couldn’t agree more about authentic sell-ability and sales! In these recession-depression times, purchase decisions are heavily weighted on trust. If we are not authentic, that is picked up. I advise folks to stop thinking sales and start thinking SERVICE…when that thought shifts, marketing falls into place!
I definitely agree that when you realize it, it loses is affect–like all those infomercials that are trying to sell a ridiculous product you know will break after the first use..
Or how the impact of a movie (scary/action) is not the same after the first time..