A while ago I saw a salespage for some new thing that one of the big names in motivational speaking is doing – I forget the details, but it’s some sort of programme designed to help people start mastermind groups, or something like that.
So far, so good: a mastermind group is a fantastic tool in the life of any business professional, and everyone should be in one. Seriously.
But somewhere on the page, it read:
“Social Pressure – This is going to be one of the biggest launches in history with more hype leading up to it then ever before. And people are going to be afraid to miss out on this new wave of opportunity.”
Well, yuck. Made me feel like I needed a shower.
Because that single line describes perfectly why marketing and sales have such a bad reputation.
I mean, come on: Hype? Afraid to miss out? New wave of opportunity?
Oh sure, it’s effective marketing. Hype works.
And it’s effective selling too: Painting a ‘wave of opportunity’ reels people in, and pushing scarcity buttons and triggering fear of missing out, that works too.
But it’s scuzzy, manipulative, and in my opinion: highly unethical.
Marketing and sales campaigns like that, they prey on the gullible.
It’s designed to coerce people into buying something – not because they actually need it, but because there’s an artificial sense of need being created in the buyer. It’s manipulation.
Now while I’m sure the dude is a good guy, nice to his grandma and so on, and I guess his work makes a difference for people. All good.
But seeing this? Bleh. What a turnoff.
Selling – done right and done ethically – doesn’t need any hype, or ‘wave of opportunity’ or fear of missing out.
Selling done right means you serve a buyer in making a yes/no decision, based on actual – not manufactured – need.
And on that note: if you have an actual, current need for growing your sales, business, impact, and revenue… and you wonder if a sales coach might help?
Then why not reply, and we’ll set up a time to talk.
And I promise: 100% hype-free.
