For professional reasons I need to evaluate technology and business information on a regular basis. Many of the sites I follow have both free and for-pay content. The quality ranges from very poor to very good, along with a large amount of material I am not competent to evaluate (e.g., financial and investment sites). “Feels true” is insufficient grounds for me to open my wallet.
This is how NOT to have me as a for-pay customer
- Asking me for money before I understand what I am purchasing. “Proof by Authority” doesn’t float my boat. Don’t talk, demonstrate. Subscriptions make me even more suspicious: I go straight for my calculator to compute the yearly total. Because I am not going to subscribe for one month. I am going to subscribe for probably 6 months, and if I don’t need the material, it’s still going to take me a month or three to unsubscribe. Based on my habits, I know I am in for a year. So you’re not really asking for $20/month. It’s really $240/year. This is good for you, the content seller. But it makes me hesitant to enter my credit card information.
- Taking my customer feedback personally. You’re running a business. If I send you an email telling you why I won’t buy, this is data. Really good data. Such data would cost you hundreds of dollars (or more) to purchase from a marketing research consultant, yet I am giving it to you for free; I am spending my time to tell you how to sell to me. Think about that before you take my feedback personally.
- On the other hand, assuming that I will take anything other than a courteous response personally. I’m busy. I won’t allow myself to be treated rudely. No profit in that.
- If you are delighted with X customers per month, and have no interest in possibly 2X, 3X or more customers per month, by all means, pay no attention to feedback from potential customers such as myself.
- For finance and investment sites in particular: if you’re not rich and successful, it’s highly unlikely I am going to pay for your advice on how I can get rich and successful. Show me the money first, and there’s a good chance I’ll give you some of mine. “Selling shovels to gold miners” doesn’t count.
But wait! There’s more
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If I take the trouble to write an email requesting more information with a series of “Yes” or “No” questions, and using your contact form, and you blow me off with a reference to your way-too-long video, I’m not your customer. I’m no longer even a prospect. The 30 seconds it took to direct me to the video could have been used to answer “Yes” or “No” to my questions. You don’t have to answer my questions, I don’t have to purchase. That’s as fair as anything could ever be. If I find out your product does what I want from someone else, well, I might be back to purchase later.
Here’s a BFH (Big Effen Hint): If my questions are valid, then YOUR copy is at fault.
What’s your favorite marketing pet peeve?
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