Killing the Sale

Today I received an email from a person I don’t know pretending to know me. They began with a small intro and then a hard pitch about their product and how it would help me. The email closed with an invitation to learn more. I just needed to reply or call now.

The product might be good, but I didn’t look further. I deleted the email.

My advice to the sender of this email:

1. Don’t hype. People today see the world in terms of real and fake and want to buy something real from someone genuine, not something contrived and disingenuous.
2. Don’t pose. Build a connection. A list of names and emails is just that. It’s what you do with that list to build a sense of loyalty and belonging. It becomes much easier to get an appointment or interest when your only option isn’t to get the appointment right now.
3. Stop selling your product before knowing your customer. Begin with the end in mind. Start by asking yourself these questions.
   “How do I want Jeff to feel when he opens my email?”
   “How does Jeff want to feel?”
   “What real value could I give Jeff to start a relationship?”

Earning attention is something that is seriously underrated.