As a business owner, I am keen on keeping operations uncomplicated. We often hear businesses stress the importance of transparency, but when they conceal their motives or share only partial information, there are times we wonder what they are keeping from us.
As consumers, we are pretty savvy. We desire to know the company, the brand, and the product before we buy. If we are buying food or taking a supplement, for example, we need to know the ingredients, side effects, and long-term benefits. We don’t blindly buy something because the marketing told us to.
We would never get into a car with someone we do not know, nor would we travel somewhere if we were not given the destination. Yet, businesses treat consumers this way all the time.
How businesses mislead consumers
Advertisements and videos that promise to reveal the “one ingredient” we should consume everyday take us on an obscure journey only to disclose, at the end of a ridiculous story from one person whose life was on a downward spiral until she learned the “secret,” that it is not a secret at all. When we are finally told after 30 minutes (if we wait that long) that the “secret” is a diet pill that will cost $200 a bottle, well, we are angry we wasted 30 minutes.
Or the quiz we took with the promise we would get the results at the end and so we spend another 30 minutes answering question after question only to learn, after we provide our email address, that we will get the solution, but only after we agree to subscribe for $10 a month.
Do you see where I am going with all of this?
Deceit is not transparency. And yes, I participate in these crazy trips knowing what will probably happen, just so I can have something to write about.
Building trust and rapport with your audience
What about you and your business? Are you clear with your messaging? Do people know who you are? Are you building trust and rapport or repelling potential customers?
Is your story honest? Or really a large sales pitch?
From the beginning of my business, which I began in 2008, first as a copywriter and now as a consultant and trainer for brand storytelling, being forthright and honest has always been a priority.
Some may scoff at my decision to post my pricing, but it is necessary to show all clients what everyone is paying. It is also important that they understand the details of my programs, what they are getting, why they are needed, and what they can expect throughout the process.
There is no sales pitch, and no lengthy landing page. Just straightforward, no nonsense information that people want to know up-front.
I lean heavily on my brand story to do the talking for me and persuade people. But I also live it.
People see themselves in my story. They embrace it. They do this because from the start, I aim to build a trusting relationship with them. I want them to have confidence that I will be open and honest.
Does all this mean I am a terrible saleswoman?
I do not waste my future or current clients’ time. I do not take them through a 30-minute tirade of a sob story so that I can grab them when they are vulnerable and trick them into buying something.
There are no tricks with J.M. Lacey Communications. We are built on empathy and the desire to eliminate, not add to, a business’s frustration.
To join the journey, visit J.M. Lacey Communications LLC on LinkedIn and “follow” the page to experience the continuing saga.
Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels
How can J.M. Lacey Communications ease your burdens? We keep it simple here. No lengthy lead generation pages. No sales pitches. Just straight-forward programs for your needs. What can we help you with? Visit our Programs page and let’s get the conversation going.
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