Why "keeping it real" makes you money
The following question is one of the best questions I've received to date, and while it may sound very simple, the answer is actually of utmost importance to making money and building a relationship with your customers so they'll give you more.
Why would anybody do as you just did and use a word like "pissed" in a marketing letter? When I came to that I thought this guy is a jerk. Am I wrong?
Omar S.
Omar, this is a great question, and the answer is contained in your emotional response to the word pissed. All great marketing pieces produce an emotion in the person reading it--some people will be "pissed" others will say "right on, finally a guy who tells like it is."
Here's the truth: if you haven't offended someone by noon each day, you're probably not making any money. NOW, you don't set out to deliberately offend people--all you'll wind up doing is alienating your customers. But when you express a strong opinion and stand for an idea, some people will gravitate towards you, and some people will move away from you, thinking you're a jerk.
That's good, because no one buys from the boring guy. Also, keep in mind we don't care about the people who don't buy, only the people who do.
Also, using words like "pissed" and "sucks" shows you're a real person to your customers, not some phony corporate yahoo trying to BS them. That's how people really talk and really think, and when you verbalize what's in their minds that no one else has the guts to say, they're attracted to you.
Can you take this too far? Yes, you can... there's certain words (profanity and obscenities) you don't use in a public forum (although behind closed doors with your friends and peers is a different matter). The trick is to express a strong opinion, without deliberately insulting people--you "pooh-pooh" an idea, but not people personally. It's OK to show "tough love" towards someone (because they know you have their best interest at heart), but you never want to attack someone personally.
So, the lesson here is, be a real person, and speak the way real people do--you'll gain a loyal following of customers who love to do business with you because you "tell it like it is"--something that's in short supply these days.
Let's get to it...
Mr. X.
Group M Marketing
Kimble and Kennedy Publishing
Why would anybody do as you just did and use a word like "pissed" in a marketing letter? When I came to that I thought this guy is a jerk. Am I wrong?
Omar S.
Omar, this is a great question, and the answer is contained in your emotional response to the word pissed. All great marketing pieces produce an emotion in the person reading it--some people will be "pissed" others will say "right on, finally a guy who tells like it is."
Here's the truth: if you haven't offended someone by noon each day, you're probably not making any money. NOW, you don't set out to deliberately offend people--all you'll wind up doing is alienating your customers. But when you express a strong opinion and stand for an idea, some people will gravitate towards you, and some people will move away from you, thinking you're a jerk.
That's good, because no one buys from the boring guy. Also, keep in mind we don't care about the people who don't buy, only the people who do.
Also, using words like "pissed" and "sucks" shows you're a real person to your customers, not some phony corporate yahoo trying to BS them. That's how people really talk and really think, and when you verbalize what's in their minds that no one else has the guts to say, they're attracted to you.
Can you take this too far? Yes, you can... there's certain words (profanity and obscenities) you don't use in a public forum (although behind closed doors with your friends and peers is a different matter). The trick is to express a strong opinion, without deliberately insulting people--you "pooh-pooh" an idea, but not people personally. It's OK to show "tough love" towards someone (because they know you have their best interest at heart), but you never want to attack someone personally.
So, the lesson here is, be a real person, and speak the way real people do--you'll gain a loyal following of customers who love to do business with you because you "tell it like it is"--something that's in short supply these days.
Let's get to it...
Mr. X.
Group M Marketing
Kimble and Kennedy Publishing
