I both love and hate it when my competitors act stupidly. I love it for the obvious reason. Them acting foolishly makes me look better. Sort of.
But when our niche is networking, and a competitor violates a basic principle, that just brings us all down.
What the heck am I talking about? A competitor of mine is currently offering a “sale” on Twitter. There are two problems with the sale.
1. The product is an ebook, but the product page doesn’t mention that, and the picture makes it look like a paper book. Don’t play games with me. If something is an ebook, tell me. If it’s paper, tell me that. I’m assuming she’s being deceptive because she doesn’t perceive value in ebooks. I could be totally wrong in my assumption, but considering the price she’s selling it for (extremely high), that’s the message I’m receiving. And in communication, the message heard is far more important than the message intended.
2. But the bigger problem is the “sale” part. The sale is a bundle including the afore-mentioned ebook and a couple of audio downloads for a package price. Sounds cool, eh? Not really. I calculated the price if I bought the three items separately. They actually cost less to buy separately than if I buy at the “sale” bundled price.
Some sale, huh?
Either she is math-deficient or she thinks her customers are. Either way, she’s not representing herself or our niche very well.
The moral of this story? Consider your message carefully. Assume your customers are bright and treat them with respect. Networking is about relationships. Do you maintain relationships with people who act like you’re an idiot?
I didn’t think so.
Tags: communication, e-marketing, Relationship building, reputation, sales