SHOW / EPISODE

Is Marketing Manipulative? Heck Yeah it is! Selling the Right Way - Annie P. Ruggles

38m | Dec 22, 2020

Are all salesmen sleazy? Is marketing unethical or manipulative? While many salespeople and marketers use bad tactics that destroy trust, it is possible to market and sell the right way.

Don’t be Sleazy!

Unfortunately, salespeople and marketers are known for being sleazy.
Partially, this is caused by the media and their portrayal of sales.
Media and art reflect reality though, and the sad truth is there are a lot of sleazy salespeople and marketers in the world.
Breakdown buildup selling is no good.
Business relationships are just that: a relationship. Treat them like one. Invest in them.
Don’t book a consultation call and then try to sell your services.
Be fair and honest.
Don’t sell the best “car” on the lot or the worst “car” on the lot. Instead listen to the client and sell them the right “car” for them.
Do you take trust seriously? Trust is the make it or break it point in sales.

Why do people use bad sales tactics?

A desperate salesperson resorts to bad sales tactics. Don’t be desperate.
Salespeople will use emotions and pain points to deceive people into thinking they are the problem and the product or service is the hero.
Don’t sell products or services that lead to buyers remorse.
Follow through with your promises!
Building trust is a huge investment. If you create a great experience, your clients will spread the word. If you burn a bridge, you’re also boring that bridge for many other people that you could have worked with.

Dealing with past baggage

It’s human behavior to be skeptical and not trust others.
When your clients come to you, they will assume the worst.
They may have had bad experiences in the past with someone else in your industry.
It takes a lot of trust to purchase a product or service.
How can we address the past baggage and build trust?
Know your industry and competitors, especially the sleazy things they do. Make a stance against those things.
Don’t have disclaimers and asterisks. Be 100% transparent. Don’t try to hide things.
Be blunt. Be blatant. Follow through with the things you say you’ll do.
Set the ground rules for you business relationship in your first call.
Tell them that their trust is important to you.

How to be the nice guy AND still get what you want

Don’t assume that they’re going to say no even before you jump on the call.
The price is just a price. Say the price and then wait.
Know where your bar of resentment is. How low are you willing to go that won’t make you resent yourself later for going too low. Stick to it!
Don’t apologize for you price!
The negotiation should be good for both of you. You should both benefit from the relationship.
If you’re worried about being a jerk, you’re probably not selling like a jerk… you’re probably not selling at all.

Manipulation

Is sales manipulative? Of course!
Manipulation simply means
There are too kinds of manipulation: Big M manipulation and Little m manipulation.
Bad manipulation is manipulation without consent.
Good manipulation is helping someone get where they already want to go.

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