Honesty Sells, Overconfidence Kills
This weekend I was at my parents' house. While thumbing through my Dad's October 2007 copy of Cycle World, I stumbled upon a brilliant example of honesty in salesmanship.
The article is about Erik Buell's new-for-2008 Buell 1125R. It's a sport bike built from the ground up. The article describes Buell's search for a company to build the new engines.
The project is at least three years old and began with the search for an engine-maker. In meetings, Buell would ask each company about its design process. As you'd expect, each was super-confident – one was described as giving the Vulcan salute while intoning, "We are very excellent!”
Then Buell went to Rotax, in Austria. Their engineers said, "We try to improve our design process but we sometimes make mistakes. Then we fix them." Refreshing! Buell felt these were his kind of engineers – people his team could work with.
This real-life example demonstrates how claims of superiority fall flat with prospects. Saying "We're the best" is just a subtle way of proving you don't have a clue. But admitting your flaws... now that's something else.
There is probably no faster way of building trust than admitting your own weaknesses. And there's probably no faster way to kill a sale than to be cocky and overconfident.
How much humility do you include in your marketing mix?
What a timely message, Ryan!
I just approached someone whom I want to do work with using that kind of humility. And I was doubting myself for admitting my weaknesses along with my strengths.
I decided to be honest because a) she would find out soon enough anyway if we work together; and b)while I might bring value to her business, I also want to learn from her.
thanks!
Posted by: Suzanne | September 10, 2007 at 11:21 AM
You asked, "How much humility do you include in your marketing mix?"
Check out 27 Good Reasons NOT to Purchase Sonlight. We've featured that article (in various forms) for 12 years or more.
On the other hand, as we have attempted to improve our direct marketing oriented copy, we haven't always gotten the mix right.
Last week one of our key writers, with a huge direct marketing background, sent the following letter; and we received almost 700 furious emails demanding to have the senders' names removed from our email list.
Not quite enough humility for our particular audience. . . .
The letter continues with all kinds of semi-hype-y details about the offer.John
Posted by: John Holzmann | September 10, 2007 at 11:34 AM
@ Suzanne - I'm glad the message was so relevant to you right now.
@ John - Wow. Thanks for sharing that real-life example. Hitting the right tone is sometimes so difficult. I know I've made my fair share of mistakes in that department...
Posted by: Ryan Healy | September 10, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Hey Ryan,
Sorry I've been so quiet lately, I've been trying to re-assess how I use my time online.
Good post once again. A lot of people seem to have messed up perceptions on what sales and marketing truly is.
Good sales and marketing is all about the relationship between you and the prospect.
If someone thinks you are just trying to sell them something, your relationship with them will be shallow and fleeting.
BUT, if you take the time to be honest AND humble, people will be more open to you and future propositions you may make to them.
Granted, there are always exceptions to the rule, but generally, you will receive FAR more long-term business from people you are honest and straightforward with.
For example, my clients don't work with me because I write the best copy ever: I don't profess to offer the best copy in the world. It's an impossibility to do so (in fact, I'd say it was an out and out lie to make such a claim).
My clients work with me (I like to think) for my ability to say "I don't know", and "explain that to me again, please".
Nothing will p*ss a client off more than simply nodding when they ask if you know what they want, and then you pester them incessantly with questions they could have answered in the brief three weeks ago.
Realising and accepting that the client knows more about their industry than you do is the first step to humility. Taking what you learn from them and delivering a marketing piece that resonates with both you AND your client (and their prospects, of course) is the thing that will give you the biggest buzz. (well, it does for me, anyways...)
Hope this helps.
Ali
Posted by: Ali Manson | September 12, 2007 at 06:57 AM
Ryan,
Great topic! I think it's really important (especially in today's marketplace) where you have VERY skeptical buyers looking at almost every ad with a jaundiced eye.
I believe that if you come out and tell people in a geniune and authentic way who you are... what your product is... and what it can (and can't) do, that'll come through on a conscious or subconscious level to the reader. Haven't really had a problem being too egotistical, so I haven't been too concerned about my level of humility.
'Know-it-alls' are poison in marketing and business in general. They usually don't keep up with current trends, and rely on their reputation, sales ability (or B.S.) to succeed. You have others who aren't know-it-alls, but try to 'gloss over' certain things and/or don't have that genuineness in their approach.
By being 'real,' you'll set yourself apart from most businesspeople in general, and that's attractive in a business sense.
Posted by: Brian Ochsner | September 12, 2007 at 10:50 AM
@ Ali - Great to hear from you. I agree... it's important to continually examine Internet usage. Otherwise, it just eats up too much time.
Thanks for such a great comment. Very insightful.
@ Brian - Thank you for your comment as well. Excellent insights.
Posted by: Ryan Healy | September 12, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Ryan,
Dead on man.
Clients can "feel" when you need to prove yourself to them...
Humility is a way to combat that feeling.
Joseph Ratliff
Posted by: Joseph Ratliff | josephratliff.name | September 13, 2007 at 01:09 PM