by colleenIs Honesty Really the Best Policy in Marketing?
It may sound intimidating at first, but transparency and extreme honesty can be incredibly beneficial to marketing efforts. Embracing honesty and acknowledging shortcomings builds trust and loyalty with leads, customers, and clients. It lets marketers express confidence and faith in what they are trying to accomplish as a company.
Consumers today are not content with buying what’s being marketed to them just because companies tell them to. They do research and lots of it. This is good for everyone. It means consumers are much more likely to be delighted with their purchase and companies selling truly valuable services are more likely to be rewarded based on merit. These trends are undoubtedly going to continue, so we as marketers need to work harder. We need to offer high-quality products and services and build genuine relationships with consumers.
NOBODY’S PERFECT
Your leads will want to learn as much as possible about your company well before making a buying decision. It’s not exactly a good idea to try to sweep potential concerns under the rug. Your leads will realize the problem sooner or later and may not consult you before they decide to go in a different direction. It will serve your best interests to be ahead of the curve. Acknowledge any obstacles and explain why your offering is still the best option.
HONESTY WILL GENERATE THE RIGHT LEADS
First and foremost, you should have faith in the value of your own services or product. Honest marketing doesn’t mean pitching your offerings in a negative light. It means expressing that you are offering real value to customers despite any shortcomings. Promoting conversation and recognizing room for improvement can help ensure that leads become delighted customers, and later, loyal brand advocates.
Those who walk away after learning of your company’s shortcomings are the ones who really care about what you might be missing. These leads were already less likely to become customers and even less likely to be delighted by your products or services after making a purchase.
It may hurt at first if your honesty costs you a few leads, but it will allow you to spend time and effort building relationships with leads who really do see how great your company is.
IS THERE A RIGHT WAY TO BE HONEST?
The approach will be different for every company, but the point is to integrate honesty and authenticity into your actions and identity as a brand. Admit your shortcomings and explain them. Put them in the context of your goals and industry benchmarks. Remember that recognizing the problem is only the beginning of the conversation.
Building a case for how you will improve or why the value of your offering outweighs shortcoming will get you much closer to where you need to be. Honesty is not only good practice for ethical reasons, its effects will work to improve lead generation and bring you closer to your ideal audience. It will attract prospects who trust your company right off the bat, and that is incredibly valuable.
Click Here To Learn More About Effective Lead Generation!
Book Your Call Now!