I would call this person immediately after receiving this correspondence and would be compassionate about their circumstances, prevent a negative impact on my brand while at the same time handling a potential customer applicably, its how we deal with people that sets us apart.

As far as marketing, well I only use referral and web marketing so people come to me, wasting time with this type of marketing, well, I’ll leave it to other businesses to do. Its easier to sell to someone who needs your service as oppose to someone who is not interested.

So many companies don’t get this!

In 2008 and beyond is the companies that provide massive value first that will win the long term relationship game.

People are to busy to be sold to these days. They want value first.

Great blog.

Scott Wilson

Yep. Stop selling and start providing value.

How about educational stuff?

This is one way to be sure you get your message across

Mike

Christine

Right now I am writing about an offering, which could be written in two paragraphs. But the manager wants the same stuff to be ‘tweaked’ (rather twist) so that it could be spread over three full pages!

I am generally given to understand that what sells is buzz. However, if you go through the websites you come across the same stuff- ‘unique methodologies, extraordinary differentiators or one-stop shopping’. As she says all self-serving blarney over which one’s eye glazes over.

I thought this kind of stuff is merely painful for the writer, but I am happy to see that it is equally irksome for the readers. Hopefully the marketing guys will take notice, and understand that keeping things simple may work. Why can’t one just identify the problem a client may face, and propose how one is going to solve it, and throw the junk about ‘cutting edge technologies’ and so on out?

Having worked my entire professional life up until a year ago as a corporate marketing manager, I had front-row seats to that kind of environment. And it’s not the odd day here and there - it’s virtually every day. Fires to put out, meetings to discuss what the next meeting will cover, last-minute sales presentations, it doesn’t end. I know when I was the person being called or pitched to by outside reps, I had a similar attitude - if I need your services, I’ll call you. Don’t call me. Don’t bother me. Ever. Again. (okay, I wasn’t that direct, but you get the point)

And while it may sound self-absorbed to some, face it: we’re all pretty much wrapped up in our own world, with our own problems and deadlines and agenda. It doesn’t matter that we can help someone do something…there’s still something in it for us.

I like Jim’s suggestions for trying to break through the barrier. It’s difficult, and not going to get any easier. I think the best course of action is to empathize, keep showing your prospect that you really do know what their day is like. It may take a while, but if you’re persistent, you’ll be the one they think of first when they can finally come up for air and get some help.

This advice is not new. But it’s welcome nonetheless. We’ve all heard variations of the adage, “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” That’s a difficult task. I’m a psychologist and fairly adept at seeing others’ perspectives. One-to-one, in my office, I’m OK. But in everyday contexts I often misunderstand or understand only the easy stuff.

Thanks for the reminder.

So how to write something that will “maybe” break through the aggravation just enough to get their attention. (I think that’s a concern with all marcomm).

The problem is that it’s very self-centered thinking (oh woe is me). You have to break through that.

You can either try being forceful:
Hey! You think you’re the only one with problems. Of course you are overworked, stressed out, and every time you feel like you’re beginning to get ahead, the boss adds another “need it yesterday” assignment. So what? Welcome to the global economy. Unfortunately, you’re not being paid to feel sorry for yourself, you’re paid to solve problems. And to solve the myriad problems you have to deal with takes more than just recognizing them, you have to take action to deal with them. In the area of xxx, I can help.

Or possibly a more subtle approach:
Ever have the feeling that you are taking two steps back for every one you take forward? Do you try your best to accomplish all your tasks but only seem to have more heaped on you every day? Do you come in early and leave late just so you can have some time to work on your projects because the rest of your day is filled with nothing but relatively fruitless meetings? I understand. I wish I could wave a magic wand and solve all your problems at once (wouldn’t that be nice?), but I can’t. But problems are not usually solved en mass, they are tackled and licked one at a time. I can help with one: xxx.

Of course, maybe neither one would work - you just never know. But if you’ve sent several lead gen or marketing letters and had no result, maybe a more direct “in your face” type of thing wouldn’t hurt.

So now, since they’re busy, you just bulletize your solution. Either you get their attention and they respond, or you don’t - but the idea is to keep is short and to the point.