September 28, 2016
I saw a post on LinkedIn this morning that compelled me to write. It contained a picture of a prospecting letter that had been received by the person doing the posting. The salesperson had included cash with the letter—a very real $50 bill. The first sentence said to donate it to their favorite charity or give it to a hardworking employee who deserved it. In exchange, they asked for two minutes to deliver their sales pitch.
This post received more than 4,500 likes—a level of support indicative of the desperation salespeople feel in trying to capture the attention of a buyer. More than 500 comments were made, and although there were mixed reviews of the tactic, the vast majority viewed this as a positive method of introduction.
And I strongly disagree.
Reason #1: Bribery is not selling.
Bribery has many forms. In this case, two take center stage.
The definition of a bribe is “something offered to induce another to take a particular action.” Suggesting the recipient use the cash to donate to charity or give to a deserving employee doesn’t detract from the overall message that the salesperson was “buying” time with a prospect.
The emotional bribery present in this scenario is almost even more insulting, and certainly more damaging, to any long-term relationship. I agree that the buyer has choices in what to do with the money, but the only one that doesn’t result in a feeling of obligation is returning it. So either they’re left feeling like a hostage who must take the call, or they’re burdened to return the cash in a method that ensures receipt. Some will be concerned enough about the possible ramifications to involve HR or legal departments in the conversation.
The outcome in either case does not create, in the buyer’s mind, a positive association to the salesperson or her company—definitely not the introduction to create a foundation of trust.
Reason #2: It’s boring and tired direct marketing content with a cheap trick thrown in as a bonus.
Remove the recipient’s name and address, and the letter could be sent to every company on the salesperson’s prospect list. It is several paragraphs long, yet says nothing. Nothing written indicated she knew anything about the recipient or his company. It was standard sales spam focused on the salesperson’s company, what they do, and how many they’ve done it for. The only thing missing was the free set of steak knives.
Reason #3: 4,500 likes does not translate into 4,500 potential customers.
Having the letter liked by 4,500 people does not automatically convert them into prospects, and it certainly cannot be used to calculate ROI or customer acquisition cost. The critical number to success is not the 4,500 people who saw the post, or even the ones who took the time to read the letter. The important number is the conversion percentage into actual customers and/or revenue-generating opportunities. Of those 4,500 people who did read it, not a single comment was posted about having contacted the salesperson; not one expressing an interest in learning more or doing business. Admittedly, several did wish to get included on her prospect list to receive their own $50 cash prize.
There is no disputing that it is more challenging today than ever to capture the fleeting attention of a buyer. This is felt in business-to-business or business-to-consumer relationships, or even with those sitting around our dinner tables every night. Shutting the phones off for just an hour has become a game to see who can last the longest. Capturing the undivided attention of your boss, your teen, or even your spouse is hard, let alone those who don’t even know you. But perhaps rather than investing in marketing tactics that only devalue you and your company, we could choose to invest time, energy, and resources into learning about each individual company we wish to reach. Create a personalized and well-thought-out method of introduction, one that shows we’ve done our homework and built something that actually matters to the recipient.
Oh, and that $50 bill for charity? It was generously donated to happy hour.
Kim Brown is the founder of Corrugated Strategies. She may be reached at 317-506-4465 or kbrown@corrugatedstrategies.com.
