Look How Smart I Am

I’ve noticed a trend.

I saw it today in the first Facebook ad in my newsfeed. I saw it today in a post that LinkedIn thought I should respond to. I saw it today in a YouTube ad that played on two consecutive videos.

The message is always the same though the variables change.

The formula is simple: Ask people to compare two different things, suggest that they believe one thing to be right or more important, and then tell them how they’re wrong.

The underlying message of this approach is “I am smart and insightful with insider knowledge that is ahead of the curve and breaks with conventional wisdom.”

It goes something like this…

X vs Y, what’s more important?

People love X and tend to think X will get them [insert result]. But time after time, you X and what happens? Nothing.

The truth is X is only a small part of it. What you really need is Y.

I just put together the Ultimate Guide to Y and X, sign up for my wait list, to be the first to get it.

A Tale Of Two Lead Gen Strategies

Business Cards vs your Website, what’s more important?

People love business cards and tend to think business cards will get them leads. But time after time, you give out business cards and what happens? Nothing.

The truth is business cards don’t work anymore. What you really need is a website.

I just put together the Ultimate Guide to building lead generating websites. Sign up for my wait list, to be the first to get it.

Joe, The Web Developer

🤔 “I should really update my website”

That is until you see this post from your friend who owns a printing company…

Business Cards vs your Website, what’s more important?

People love websites and tend to think a website will get them leads. But time after time, you check your analytics and what happened? Nothing.

The truth is that having a website is only a small part of it. What you really need are the right people visiting your site. That’s where business cards come in. When given to the right people, business cards are the most effective way to get the right traffic to your website.

I just put together the Ultimate Guide to driving web traffic with business cards. Sign up for my wait list, to be the first to get it.

Jane, The Printer

Uncertainty

You’ve seen both ads now…what should you do? You’ve been presented with two differing ideas, both of which make sense.

…and that’s the point, to create fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) in your mind.

If you don’t think about how both of these examples are hammers in search of a nail, you could be left wondering if you should ditch the business cards and focus on your website or the other way around.

Both could be seen as true depending on your perspective and how you frame things. The truth that is valuable, is probably somewhere in the middle. The truth that is valuable, probably requires a little more discovery. The truth that is valuable, is probably not that simple.

Let’s see some identification

The most obvious part of this trend, is how people feign objectivity. They position themselves as keepers of specialized knowledge rather than a salesperson with an angle. This lets them swoop in and resolve your uncertainty and fear with their solution. Make no mistake, they know what they’re doing.

Everyone is selling something. It’s how we eat and stay out of the rain. The problem here, like in so many things, is a lack of honesty.

I believe it’s time we start being honest about our biases or at the very least, not disparaging the effectiveness of other options to elevate our own.

If you’re selling something or you have an obvious bias, lay it all out there instead of pretending to have inside information about what works and doesn’t. Talk about what you do and who it’s for. Talk about why you do it. Talk about who it won’t work for. Be honest.

Because whether it’s a question of focusing on strategy vs execution in your business or cardio vs strength training for weight loss, there is rarely only one correct answer.

It depends…

None of our solutions work 100% of the time. You don’t need to make something else wrong for what you offer to be valuable. Whatever you do, you’re right for some people but not for others.

When you see content or ads from those who claim expertise…

As a consumer, I’d encourage you to beware those whose marketing angle is to disparage an alternative, especially when they are incentivized to push you in a particular direction. When things are framed as right/wrong, you should assume that you’re being sold by someone too afraid or too impatient to be nuanced. Until someone investigates the nuance, they should be reluctant to make assured recommendations.

Because the marketplace is crowded, many marketers will often copy tactics that they assume are successful. So, as a business owner or marketer, remind yourself that you don’t need to rely on these same old, tired, recycled psychology tricks that have been used over and over.

You can do better. We all can do better.

We’re all competing for attention, and there are shortcuts to getting it, but will any of us ever get over the imposter syndrome if we’re not being honest?