Hey, cold sales sharks... you've got a brand problem!
September 5, 2022
I regularly use LinkedIn (sometimes reluctantly) to put out content and engage with others. But, the platform is like blood-infested waters... and there are a lot of sharks.
Almost daily, out of the blue, I get someone in my direct messages trying to peddle their services or do a Virtual Coffee (whatever the heck that means) to trap me into a sales pitch... or, I mean, "network." I mostly ignore the messages and then get fifteen more unsolicited "follow-up" messages that I also ignore...
But, occasionally, there are exceptions. If the person seems to have at least looked into Sharpe Creative and there is the potential that the conversation might be relevant to both of us, and they speak like a human being and not a business cyborg, I entertain a quick Zoom chat. But, you know what I have found... the majority of those (semi-vetted) Zoom chats end up resulting in the salesperson realizing my business isn't a great fit for their offer or vise versa.
I get it. Businesses need to make sales and people in sales have all sorts of methods to make sure that happens... cold contacts unfortunately being one of them. It's probably effective as a numbers game. Pester enough people and a percentage of them will turn into cash. Is wearing someone down until they cave a good approach? Does it create the best customer or outcome?
I am on the side of, warm em' up before you try to sell... or better yet, draw them to you. With most of these digital door-to-door sales folk, I look into them as they message me. Often what I find is that their brand is either non-existent (meaning they have no brand identity, no website, no content beyond a LinkedIn bio, no social presence, etc. or if they do have those things, they are often very poor and show and tell next to nothing.
If you rely on cold messages as your main way of getting sales, you absolutely have a brand problem. You shouldn't need to beg people to work with you. They should seek working with you.
A couple years ago, a pest control salesperson came to our door at 8PM. For starters, we had no need for pest control AND our small children had just gotten to sleep. The doorbell made the dog bark, the barking woke the kids and the oblivious sales person just kept peddling their offer through the barks, cries and repeated "no thanks." We didn't need pest control, but gained a pest. But, bet your boots, if/when we do need that type of service, that company will be the last company on planet earth that I contact. In fact I'd rather live with an infestation than call them. As parents of small children know, waking them up should be a felony.
Here's the dealio... if your offer is so game-changing for your customers, you don't need to chase people down and beat them over the head with it. If you have an offer, product or service... create a brand and messaging that is compelling, shows, tells and proves why you are the bees knees. Then regularly put yourself out there and engage with people naturally. Customers will come to you. And not just customers in the generic, batched sense of the word... the RIGHT customers. Customers who understand what you offer and know that it could be perfect for them.
If your offer is great, create a brand that matches. Then, you can retire from active DM creeper duty. Need help getting there? Let us know.