But we do see it all around. High-pressure, creepy folks who insinuate their way into our attention, and then tell lies and half-truths to sell their stuff.
It’s particularly prevalent in what I do for a living, which is teaching people about marketing and business. But by no means is the creepiness confined to that topic.
I see scammy, predatory marketing in any field you can think of, including:
- Health (so much BS in this one)
- Money
- Personal development
- Relationships
- Dog training
In other words, if it’s a topic that people will spend money on, there’s a scumbag somewhere who’s willing to lie to get some of that money.
Which leads to two depressing questions.
- How can we avoid getting burned by liars and crooks?
- Do we have to turn into liars and crooks ourselves in order to market our businesses?
Rather than stay depressed, let’s address this mess head-on.
How to stay free of predatory salespeople
There is much that can be said on this topic, but I can give you one to keep handy:
If you are desperate, be careful.
We’re seeing an epidemic of shitweasels at the moment because so many of us are incredibly stressed, and that’s when the shitweasels come out to feed.
I have had, at various points in my professional life, an annoying (expensive) habit of looking for a business savior, because I didn’t believe I “had what it takes” to be successful.
If you’ve seen me get ragey about that idea, this is why.
When you don’t see your own power, you’re vulnerable to some clown who is less smart than you are, less capable than you are, and has no qualms about exploiting your insecurity to line his pockets.
Good coaches or consultants in any field respect your agency and autonomy. They call on you to develop your bravest, wisest self, instead of promising to be your pseudo-parent and solve all of your problems.
Why don’t sleazy coaches do this? Because then you’ll figure out that the most important “success secret” you have is you.
Good coaches ask you a lot of clarifying questions, point you in fruitful directions, hold you accountable to what you already know you need to do, and hold your hand when it’s scary.
Horrible coaches give you a “success-getting system” (for any topic), then put the blame on you when their “system” doesn’t work.
How to sell without becoming a predatory salesperson
There’s a component of this that’s going to sound too simplistic.
Don’t lie.
It sounds a little bit like Samantha Bee’s PSA to potential workplace harassers. (NSFW.)
Most predators, in my experience, are groomed by other predators. They learn “not to take no for an answer” (um, “no” is an answer), or how to undermine their victims’ confidence to leave them more vulnerable.
It’s a specific skill set. Some people are very good at it. I recommend you not pursue that.
But there’s a corollary to that. I see advice like,
The best way to sell is never to sell anything, just make something really good and people will stumble across it.
And in my experience, this doesn’t work.
- You have to learn to stand up and say, What I have to offer is valuable.
- You have to learn basic copywriting stuff like benefits vs. features, calls to action, and risk reversal.
- You have to understand the psychology of why people buy, and create messages that respect that psychology.
There truly is a middle road.
Here’s the brutal truth:
The middle, ethical road doesn’t work as well as being a lying shitweasel, if you’re good at being a lying shitweasel.
Some of those guys really do make a lot of money.
But you’re not going to do that anyway, because Ew.
“Sales” isn’t a dirty word, and I’m not willing to let the creeps and scumbags own the game.
If your product or service helps people, you deserve to sell it and to find success. No shitweaselry required.
Resources
I’ve written a lot about this topic, because getting over my own hangups about selling was difficult and necessary. Here are a couple that might help you out — and if you want me to dig more into this topic, just drop a comment below with your thoughts!
- My post here on Remarkable Communication on How Not to Be a Dirty Rotten Spammer
- My post for Copyblogger about What Effective Selling Looks Like
How about you?
Do you get hung up around selling?
Have you had any horrible experiences with salespeople? (Often these two are related.)
Let us know in the comments. 🙂
Creative Commons image courtesy of Pixabay
I sometimes think the only people that make money online are the people who sell courses on how to make money online. There are some good ones out there but your comment about someone offering to be a parent stuck with me. How many times have you read, “I will give you seven foolproof steps to building a six-figure business!”
The trouble is, people are chasing the wrong things. Instead of thinking about how they can solve a problem, they’re thinking about what they can do to afford to buy a Tesla.
I’m sure you’ve got a line of people wanting to work with you. Anyone would be lucky.
Two of the most wonderful men in my childhood were salesmen. Quite often they’d have me tagging along on their home appointments or underfoot in their shops. I adored them. It showed. I was cute. Portable social proof.
Both of these men would never pass a stranded vehicle without offering their help. They would never allow someone to buy from them if they didn’t think they could afford what they had to offer. They might creatively problem-solve to overcome hurdles on the path to purchase, but they would never push or shame someone into buying something that didn’t thrill them.
How did that work for them? Worked like magic for my charismatic grandfather. He was truly the son of a preacher man. My uncle, his son-in-law, had his own style. A mix between James Dean and Eddie Arnold. Much more approachable, but not as successful. AS successful. But universally loved.
Something universally relevant about their differences. My grandfather, P.A., thoroughly enjoyed himself. He loved making a sale. My uncle loved to be loved. He was apologetic about his sales.
Thanks, Sonia, for spurring my thoughts this direction. I often need to write to discover what I know…already.
Headline of the month!
Thanks Greg! 😀
I know I am late to the game on this one, but the term “shitweasel” is now part of my everyday vernacular!
It can come in handy! 😀