by Randall CraigFiled in: Blog, Blogging, Business Development, Make It Happen Tipsheet, Networking, TrustTagged as: Blogging, Sales
Consider these Tipsheets: there are over 650 of them, and they certainly don’t “sell” anything. Each week, I give away a small nugget of information, and tie it to an immediate action. These non-salesy Tipsheets, like the vast majority of blogs, are designed to credentialize expertise and build trust, slowly over time.
Interestingly, I recently received an email from a reader saying that he was about to unsubscribe, but he wanted to give me “a chance” and explain why, in person. As this reader was in the same city as I was, I took him up on his offer to meet for a coffee.
Beyond the introductions and pleasantries, he then immediately went into a high pressure sales pitch for their marketing services. As the service wasn’t needed, the meeting ended relatively quickly. And there was no follow-up email or phone call from him after the meeting. A few weeks later this person unsubscribed. I didn’t really shed any tears for the loss.
Lessons learned:
Social Media can be used to sell, but one of the most effective strategies has to be Give to Get; the sale will take place, but only when you’ve demonstrated your expertise, earned the trust, and the buyer is ready to buy – which may take years.
Where does your blog fit on the sell/no-sell continuum? If you’re not happy with it there, make a change. If you don’t blog, look back at your favorite blog (besides this one!) and evaluate it: where does it fit on the continuum? And how would you feel if it was changed?
Meta: It’s ironic that the precise person who should have read this post will not, since he has unsubscribed
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