Can You Sell Something You Won’t Buy?

When lawyers lie to get the guilty off and they say that I’m just upholding legal system, do you buy it? So when marketers sell you something they’d never use in a million years, why do we think it’s fine? As users of services and products we already know that the best market research is being your most discerning customer, and the market examples of that are abundant from Apple to Zappos.

Most marketing pros working today unfortunately grew up in a mass marketing era where limited communication channels created the conditions that made them believe that if they position well enough, or target segments clearly enough, people will buy what they are selling. This is simply not true and here’s why:

1. Trust Trumps Control: In a networked world, control is fast becoming the cool aid only marketers drink while empowered customers reject it with a vengeance! In a pre-networked world, if you didn’t like the product or service the marketer was selling you couldn’t really complain about it other than send a sternly worded letter to the complaint department. Now the Internet is your complaint department and everyone is your audience. The only meaningful dialogue you can have with your brand is one with a brand that has earned your trust. Not one that tries to woo you with a slick sales pitch but one that gets who you are and what you care about. That brings us to the next point.
2. Markets are Conversations: Just like the Cluetrain revealed nearly a decade ago, its’ back to basics if you want to connect with your customers. People don’t have conversations with people they don’t like when they have a choice, and boy do they ever have choices now! With barriers to entry dropping everyday with new advances in technology in terms of production, distribution and communication, there are more individuals and companies ready to take your place if you mess up with customers.
3. No One Scratches Your Itch Better than You: In a networked marketplace, you can’t fake authenticity. While some may claim that “Authenticity” is simply about the executing its appearance, a networked marketplace quickly dispels that illusion no matter how big you are and how much you’ve spent defending your turf. Authenticity occurs from 1st hand experience of your product or service as a customer. This is the reason Richard Branson chats up customers on his Virgin flights, Howard Schultz works the counter, and Tony Hseih of Zappos requires everyone on his staff to answer phone calls regardless of position. Because without that 1st hand experience, the authenticity and passion for what you’re bringing to market is lost, and the empowered customer who feels that is immediately turned off.

The takeaway: Use your product. Often. Use it more than your customers, and look for all its failings way harder than what pleases your customers. Then talk about it, teach it and sell it because you truly care. If you don’t you will fail. Because, now more than ever, the market knows when you’re faking it, and not only that, they have many more ways and more connected voices to amplify their discontent.