Soft Sell Marketing — Persuasion in Plain View
By*******************************************
A Special Bonus for You
“How To Build Your Soft Sell Marketing Platform”
1 hour audio download
Go to Bridging Heart and Marketing – Platform Bonus
******************************************
This afternoon I began reading a book on subliminal persuasion. It’s not the first persuasion book I’ve read, but it is the first with an emphasis on subliminal.
And it goes against everything Judith and I believe in as Soft Sell marketers and advocates for the Soft Sell, heat-centered perspective—i.e. marketing with consciousness and conscience.
Just the use of the word “subliminal” is enough to go against how we want to market. But in case you might not have a formal definition, here it is (from www.dictionary.com):
Subliminal — existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; being or employing stimuli insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but often being or designed to be intense enough to influence the mental processes or the behavior of the individual
And for persuasion:
Persuasion—to induce one to undertake a course of action or embrace a point of view by means of argument, reasoning, or entreaty.
There are a number of problems with the juxtaposition of “subliminal” and “persuasion” as they are here defined, contradiction being the obvious one.
But I want to focus on what the author of the book I’m reading has to say.
Early on he states that he wrote his book as a key for controlling consumers. And that control is achieved because his techniques preclude any conscious evaluation on the part of the one being persuaded.
That’s obvious. After all, what else would “subliminal” mean?
But ask yourself, what’s the need for persuasion to be covert—subliminal? Why hide what you’re doing?
As a marketer, doesn’t the writer believe the customer is capable of making a sound decision? Or is he afraid that that’s precisely what the customer is capable of doing and may not make a decision in his direction?
Perhaps it’s his product. Or, rather, the quality of his product?
Or is it the quality of his soul?
This last is not an over-the-top question, because the writer includes within the first three pages, two entries that made the statement (my paraphrase):
I’m going to show you these techniques and they can be terribly misused. I’m being ethical in divulging this material. It’s up to you to use it ethically.
What’s his worry? Why the disclaimer?
Because he knows his objective is to minimize your critical thinking so that you will be open and emotionally available to accepting whatever he, as a marketer, is marketing.
Now it’s true that we all persuade every day. It’s part of being alive. Soft Sell marketers are not exempt. And we all need to do so because of what Judith and I call everyone’s natural, innocent, narcissistic, preoccupation with our own lives.
For persuasion to work, you have to capture a person’s attention long enough to deliver your message. And your reader/listener must be intrigued enough to take it in and be impacted. That all takes time, a commodity in our ever-increasing and faster lives most of us preciously guard. And that makes persuasion harder.
But it’s the hidden quality of “subliminal” that bothers me.
When the writer consciously chooses to be subliminal his motives become suspect. What kind of person is he? Why can’t he be straight up with me? Is he afraid? Or maybe just nefarious?
Questions tumble on one another creating a mound of mistrust and deep suspicion.
So as a Soft Sell marketer, that’s hardly the response you want. So your persuasion needs to be in plain view. Nothing to hide. Up front. Confident. Secure.
You know what you offer is real. It works. And you’re not only not afraid to make your claims, you are proud, excited, enthused, eager to demonstrate the results of your solution(s) . . .
AND willing to bestow on your customer the power and right to make a decision based on his or her critical assessment.
You are dedicated to not abusing the integrity of your customer—the receiver of your message—because you trust yourself and those you serve.
How else could you be the care-giver you are, the marketer whose ROE (Return of Experience) product or service will change lives for the better . . .
AND you are ready and willing to let everyone know as straightforwardly as you can.
Persuasion in plain view. Soft Sell Marketing. The marketing point of view of the future, for a better marketplace and a better planet . . . a better customer and a better you.
Because Its All in the Connection
Jim
PS — Be sure to downlaod “How to Build Your Soft Sell Platform” by going to
Bridging Heart and Marketing – Platform Bonus
I totally agree with the approach of respect and integrity in writing to people. I like the straightforward approach and it is one I choose to follow in my writing.
Blessings, Sharon
I hear the word subliminal and I think sneaky.
Subliminal = sneaky.
‘Nuff said?
Jeff
Great post! I teach marketing and entrepreneurship, and was once surprised when a student who professed a values-based orientation to business took the position that subliminal advertising is OK “as long as it is in the consumer’s best interest.” That, of course, assumes that we know what is in the best interests of others, and that the end justifies the means.
In my view, images and text without completely subliminal components can also have subliminal effects, to the extent that reader or listener does not consider them critically. For example, advertising featuring the an image of a person experiencing joy and fulfillment while using a product or service implies that buying it will bring joy and fulfillment to the purchaser; at best this exaggerates the benefit. Do such images contribute to a culture in which we believe that we can buy happiness?
Where we draw the line becomes an interesting, and perhaps personal, ethical question…
There is a lot of “baggage” around the word “selling” and because of this many people will go into all sorts of mental contortions to dissociate what they are doing to get sales for their business from “selling”.
I haven’t read the book, but from what you say it seems to me that the author is tapping into this dichotomy, and suggesting that he has a way for people to makes sales without “selling”.
I like better your modelling a way of selling that fits with our values, and honors both us and our potential customer.
Shelagh Jones
http://www.spiritus-thespiritualmarketingdirectory.com
Sharon,
Respect and integrity form the foundation for a long term relationship and isn’t that what we as marketers want with our customers and clients?
Starting with respect and integrity also reflects the respect and integrity we have in our own products and services as well as in ourselves.
What could be better?
Welcome into the conversation.
Jim
http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com
Jeff,
For me it’s far more than just sneaky. It’s intentionally and purposefully sneaky. So much for know, like and trust.
Jim
http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com
Jim
PRECISELY!
Jeff
Lisa,
You raise an interesting point, i.e. the unintended subliminal effects.
My view is that as long as I am true to myself and my intention to presuade in plain view — I cannot effect the absence of critical thinking. That absolves me of any guilt I might feel but not of my responsibility to remain as aware and conscious of my actions and that they will have unintended consequences.
That’s why we say marketing with consciousness and conscience.
I think an ethical line exists and it is personal.
And then expect to be accused of being subliminal no matter what precautions I take to the contrary and no matter how transparent I try to be.
As long as I am dealing with people’s dreams, I have to be sensitive against manipulation because that is psychological abuse, and aware that dreams are, for the most part, unconscious, and thereby out of critical sight.
Welcome into the conversation.
Jim
http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com
Shelagh,
From Judith and my perspective, a sales transaction is, in fact, a partnership, when both parties are honoring and repsectful of each other’s role.
When viewed as a partnership, the container for the transaction is the relationship and that extends beyond the immediate exchange even if the two never transact business again.
They have entered each other’s lives, however minimally, and that entering is not to be treated lightly.
Thank you for your comment and welcome into the conversation.
Jim
http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com
Hi Jim,
I agree with you. Be direct and honest. The person can make an informed buying decision. I’m a coach and I’d rather have people do business with me because they want to, and not because I convinced them to.
And yet …… I remember back to when my sister sold her house a number of years ago. Many prospective buyers looked, but there were no offers. One day a prospect came through while my sister was baking break. (Delicious smells in the air.) It wasn’t planned, just coincidence. At the closing, the buyer told my sister that one of the reasons they bought the house was because it smelled homey. She wasn’t aware of it when she made the offer, but realized it prior to the closing. She didn’t feel that she had been tricked, and yet it had helped the sale.
So my questions are: If my sister had done this intentionally, would this have been wrong? Because is was a coincidence, does that make it ok?
Philip,
If your sister had been intentional and then pointed out to the buyer how cozy the house feels whenever she bakes bread — and that she wanted to show the house in its best light (or fragrances) so that it was more the a house, it was a home, that would have been persuasion in plain view.
I am not against persuasion, just persuasion that hides and treats the person being persuaded with little if any respect.
That’s why Judith and I believe in marketing with consciousness and conscience.
Thanks for your comment and welcome into the conversation.
Jim
http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com
told the buy
made the point to the buyer (whoch would not have reduced the aromas in the house)
I was taught in Advertising 101 that a good salesperson is someone who helps a person solve a problem or fill a need. That pretty much informs me that if I am not working with my potential clients’ or my current clients’ needs as they perceive them first, and then educating them about other ways i could be useful, how can i be helpful? If i have to persuade them, it is about my needs and not theirs.
Jan, I agree and disagree.
We live in this very real psychological world, wherein self-preoccupation is not a patology but a means to survival. No matter how well intended you are there is still the problem of presenting something sufficiently compelling to draw a person out of his or her self-preoccupation. In that sense persuasion is necessary.
I agree with you that if you are working with your client’s needs as he or she perceives them then you are past the point of persuasion (as I used it above) and so you achieve a state of co-creativity. That’s the partnership Judith and I refer to as the highpoint of sales.
f you have a method that can bypass the persuasion need I would love to hear about it.
Jim