Did You Know That Professionalism Can Kill Your Sales?

The Double Edged Sword of Marketing

While building a business, most of us want to show that we are professional. Running a business online, there’s a part of us that wants to show how great we are. Some people might pay a web designer to make their site look aesthetically appealing.

So we add nice color combinations, stunning graphics, some customized code to add visual effects. We want to convey professionalism. We want to show that we are creditable. We want to show that we are better than our competitors.

While this is pretty common, did you know that just focusing on how “professional” you are can hurt your business? It’s seems strange, but let me explain.

Let’s venture into how we handle things offline.

If you go to your mailbox, which mail to you hold on to and which one’s do you instantly trash? If you received a white envelope, would you be more compelled to open up the one with a handwritten address, or the one that was professionally printed?

Let’s take the same example with a note or a brochure.

If you saw a nicely printed brochure put under your windshield wiper, would it command your attention more than a handwritten note on the same size and color of paper?

Do you get my drift?

The common thread that connects all of us is that we don’t want to be manipulated. We don’t want to be sold. When people spot ‘advertising’, it’s a big turn off. With offline advertising, I spent a lot of time signing direct mail letters, putting non-standard stamps on the envelopes, and hand addressing every one just to make it look like the letter was from a friend. This might seem like a lot of work, but the results were worth it.

So how does this apply online?

There’s so many facets of online marketing that I can’t answer that question easily. All I could say is that adding more “Personalization”, rather than “Professionalism” is what connects emotionally with people. If you can convey both and get better results, more power to you.

Just remember, emotion is what really digs into all of us and compels us to act upon our desires. I’d rather get advice from a friend, or somebody that I feel I would like and trust. How about you?