Lately it seems like everyone I know is complaining about feeling “sold to.”
They’re getting pitched by e-mail, on Facebook, in blog posts, on TV and on Twitter – and they’re tired of it.
As a consumer, I understand. I’m sick of it too. Everywhere you look there’s another business trying to sell you something. My e-mail inbox is overflowing with newsletters, free courses, promotions, and “last chance!” offers.
But as a business owner, it’s not so simple. You’re in business to sell stuff. You can’t just stop selling because people don’t feel like listening to your pitch.
So the question is: how can you get more sales without selling?
The answer is that you have to sell differently. Instead of telling potential clients or customers how great you are, you have to show them. Instead of slashing your prices to attract attention, try increasing your prices (if your products or services are worth it) and then explain why you’re taking that step (i.e., you’re unable to meet demand at current prices, you’ll be able to offer higher-quality products, etc.). You’re going to have to get creative.
Stop blindly doing what everyone else is doing and try something unexpected. It’s really the only way to stand out and get past buyer fatigue. How many times do you think your prospects will open an e-mail that says “this is your last chance to buy X!” before they start hitting the “delete” button automatically?
photo credit: Tim Parkinson
Traci Feit Love is a freelance writer, editor & consultant for businesses that want to increase sales with smart, impressive content. To learn more about working with Traci, contact her.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Traci,
Thank you for the insight. You can so tell these days who is new at the content game and who is either seasoned.
People love to be surprised. Like you said, you must be different and be doing different things than the 98% of people who think they are blogging but are really shoving.
Love your content.
Thanks, Joshua! I wrote this post after receiving my umpteenth “last chance for X!” e-mail and wondering how many more I’d get before the end of the week. It’s certainly not easy to figure out more creative ways of reaching people, but I think it’s worth the effort.
Great article Traci.
You are so right about the need to be more subtle.
But if being subtle means slowly building a relationship and trust with you prospect by using Auto Responders etc, then it won’t be long before everyone does. Even just over the last six months I’ve noticed many more sites offering information in exchange for email addresses or newsletter – myself included.
Do you think this new way of marketing will stand the test of time?