I was sitting in a cafe in London and there was a guy sitting in front of me picking his nose.I know that’s pretty disgusting so I won’t describe it in more detail as my job as writer is to pull you in, not drive you away, right?
So why as a marketing team do you drive me away with your content?
Let’s tell you a bit about myself. I’m a really busy person, I’m on the way home and I need to get a report to my manager by Friday morning. It’s Wednesday night. The only way I will meet the deadline is to work tonight. I also have my daughter refusing to do her revision for her maths exam. My in-laws are coming at the weekend and I haven’t cleaned the house or been to the shops yet.
OK so this is a metaphor to get you to understand me, your buyer. I’m not a persona, I’m up against it.
Now, like you, I’ve been around. I’ve been to Spain and had somebody try and sell me a time share. I renewed my mobile phone contract today and after talking to the salesperson I still feel I was ripped off somehow. I’ve seen all the ads about being “the biggest”, “number one”, “market leader” and you know what I believe none of them.If you tell me you pen is the best in the world, the first thing I do is go online and validate that. The same with my forth coming holiday, we have checked out on trip—advisor every hotel we are staying at. We have looked at good reviews and bad reviews and taken a judgement.You telling me how great you are is a total waste of your time and money, because I will check you out. It’s still simple, I have access to the internet and social media all though my iPhone which enables me to see if you are right… or more likely, saying exactly the same thing that all your competitors are saying.The only unique that a company has now is its people. I’m too busy to deal with your corporate content, it tells me nothing … it’s brochureware. It probably tells me things I could get from your website anyway. I’m really sorry but have “case studies” are the same. Nobody reads them, because they are created by a corporate machine, they will tell you how great things are. Now, if you get your employees or sales teams to write them, that is very, very, different. I’m sorry to say that the only unique you have right now is your employees.So what has this got his got to do with picking your nose. Nothing.I am your buyer and I’m busy and I am really not interested in your company, its products or services. Just the same as you not interested in the detail of the bloke in front of me picking his nose. Related:
Sales and the World Keeps Changing. Are You With Me?
