Don’t Insult the Prospect if You Want to Get the Job
By Roberta Rosenberg on Nov 9, 2006 in Promoting Your Biz, Working with Clients
Some marketing tips are just way too obvious.
Consider this: I got a call after work hours from a fellow I do not know. He introduced himself by name without a company affiliation. He told me he had reviewed AdoptShoppe, my online store. He then proceeded to tell me in several breathless sentences how my site completely sucked from an SEO perspective.
Really? I’ve been doing SEO pretty successfully since 1998. This site, in particular, has ranked top 5 in every important search engine for all my important keyphrases.
I told him, let’s call him Bill, that my site was strongly positioned in my niche market. That the name "AdoptShoppe" itself was a key search phrase.
Bill was having none of it and continued to harrangue. My SEO sucked. He promised it would make it rock. Bill didn’t tell me how he’d make the magic happen, but continued to share his years of incredible experience before Google googled or Yahoo yodeled.
"How so, Bill" I replied, "My market is just XXX,XXX worldwide. My site
serves a small niche. I’m already where I want to be. So how will your
extra-special dollop of SEO goodness give me better than I already
have?"
Bil didn’t tell me but continued to share. I should have hung up but I felt like I was listening to a slow-mo version of an aural car wreck. I had to keep listening. So I did for a little while longer.
Finally, I told him this. "Look, Bill. As a marketing consultant, I generally advise my clients when they’re cold calling for new business that their job is to be an effective solution to a prospect’s problem. They are to listen more then they talk. Don’t sell, consult. And above all, don’t tell the prospect before they’re a client that whatever they’ve been doing sucks. Tell them it could be improved, made more efficient, whatever makes sense. But good G-d man, don’t tell them it’s lousy. It sorta turns them off to your message, y’think?"
Bill wasn’t listening. He was still sharing.
As much as I appreciate the inspiration for today’s post, I ask you … "Will Roberta EVER, EVER give Bill a chance at her site SEO or anything else for that matter?"
Maven’s Maxim
Don’t sell, consult. Ask good questions and listen for the answers. And when they prospect sounds POed, shut up and back off. (But as a regular "Copywriting Maven" reader I know you know that already.)
- Enjoyed this post?
Get free updates by email or RSS - Enjoy this blog? Please add Copywriting
Maven to your Technorati favorites
Jonathan Kranz | Nov 15, 2006 | Reply
Classic! What a great story, Roberta.
I had something similar happen to me year’s ago at a marketing networking event. A guy representing the Sander’s Sales System (or something like that) button-holed me with a very aggressive series of questions about my sales process. Was I getting the sales I wanted? If not, why not? What was I going to do about it?
Not once did he ask me about my business. What I did, how I did it, who I did it for. Nope. He said he specialized in consultative selling, but it felt like an interrogation. Even though I didn’t know much about sales, I knew one thing for certain — I would never, ever approach one of my prospects in the disrespectful way he approached me.
Obviously, he didn’t get my business…
Copywriting Maven | Nov 15, 2006 | Reply
Jonathan, thanks for coming by and sharing your own story of cold call cluelessness! (If Jonathan’s name is familiar, he’s the author of “Writing Copy for Dummies” a terrific copywriting fundamentals book. I was his Technical Editor on the project, so please excuse the lovefest :=)
Don’t be a stranger!