Burn Remedy

After writing about selling vs. serving and how being of service challenges our attention, I’ve been thinking 
about the other side of the relationship: the attention of the potential client.

 What are audience options when they don’t feel served?

Increasingly, clients will air their complaints via social media. Make no mistake, people will blast you in social media after they have paid for something if it disappointed them. From a seller’s perspective, there are valuable opportunities in this situation, if you can get past feeling stung by the criticism. Reach out to the aggrieved client, but do it personally. Pick up the phone, if possible, or at least send an email or a direct message. Don’t let things escalate publicly. That serves no one.

Most of all, criticism is a perfect opportunity to examine your delivery. Make improvements wherever you can. We’re all going to make mistakes. The pros learn from them and improve without getting defensive.

Pre-sale, if potential clients are not satisfied, I’ve noticed that they are much quieter. From a seller’s point of view this is far worse, because once we lose someone’s attention it is next to impossible to get it back.
 You thought it was hard to acquire a subscriber? Try getting a resubscriber. Not likely.

Frankly, I think we get what we deserve when people unsubscribe. We’ve asked for someone’s most precious resources: time and attention. We have accepted their trust and we have a responsibility to earn it every week, not just in our “free class” or “pink spoon.”

Why would someone choose to burn through something as valuable as trust in an attempt to constantly sell something?

Churning and burning the list gives potential clients a very clear message: they are seen as replaceable targets, not valuable relationships.

 It’s a mystery to me that anyone would trust a provider who treats subscribers that way with their irreplaceable time, much less money.

So what’s a seller to do? Is it tempting to send just one more “quick, buy now” message? Don’t do it. You’re abusing the people who trusted you.

Does the idea of creating quality content and delivering first-rate services over and over feel daunting? Of course it is. Step up. And then market with integrity. That’s the only burn remedy there is.

Related posts:

1. Are You Selling or Serving?
2. Whose Power Cord Are You Using?
3. Are You Leading a Tribe or Boring a Crowd?