When I clicked a link on an Instagram ad for a nutritional supplement, all I felt was hate. I hated that they hid the price of their product and tried to deceive me into buying a subscription immediately.
I wanted information. I felt misled. I left their landing page as I felt rage and anger. I didn’t feel annoyed or unhappy – I was mad.
I felt manipulated and that this company wasted my time.
As a prospective customer, you would expect they would make me want to buy from them but all I felt was their annoying stupid approach to marketing. Deceptive and slick, they didn’t get me and what I wanted or how I expected to be treated.
What Do You Know About What Customers Hate?
If you are charged with business development, marketing, or sales for your business, are you learning what customers hate about their experience? And by hate – I strongly mean dislike – not just don’t care. Hate is a passionate amount of dislike.
Like a barrel full of that angry stuff.
When a prospect hates something, it signals that something you are doing is creating friction and tension. You are making it impossible for me to trust or buy from you. Your little dance of deception didn’t fool me. Hiding the pricing or tricking someone into buying more than they want – can’t be a long-range strategy. It is a recipe for failure.
No one expects you to be perfect, but you need to be easy to do business with, truthful, and honest. I may not know you or your products, but I’m “eighty sixing myself” when you make me feel bad through being cleverly deceptive.
Gone. Done. I am moving on.
What do you know about what your customers hate about doing business with you?
Ask the Frontline
I bet your frontline – customer service reps and others hear their pain and can help you make a list. They can probably provide you with several things customers express anger about like forcing them to buy a larger quantity or not being able to get them product overnight. Start making a list that your team can contribute to about those issues and topics where prospects get enraged or express strong emotion.
The best companies are looking for the hateful speed bumps blocking sales. What is it you are doing that is slowing down customers and, enraging them?
When some companies learned how much people hated being on hold, they develop a system to leave your number and someone will call you back. Most people prefer that to sit listening to annoying Kenny G elevator music that goes on and on.
If you are evoking hate – it is hard to make a sale. Find what’s making your customers mad. Then stop doing that.
It is that simple.
Check out Nicolas J. Webb’s book on this topic to learn more.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash
Photo of Book – All rights reserved, Nicolas J. Webb
