A few weeks ago, I contacted the PR agency of a large company in regards to their very successful word of mouth viral marketing campaign they had been running. I wanted to do an interview with them about the campaign and the behind-the-scenes creative process for this blog. I was really looking forward to their answers that I had sent via email — I didn’t ask them to disclose any intellectual property or anything, but the questions were asked to help other individuals and companies learn from their success.
I received their answers via email last week. I had hoped to publish the interview this week… but when I read it over, it wasn’t an interview at all.
It was a glorified commercial. I was really disappointed.
Here was one of the leaders in companies embracing Web 2.0 - they are one of the companies that are literally on the leading edge of what I consider to be conversation marketing. So why they heck did they give me a pitch when I was clearly asking for real, honest answers to marketing questions to help business owners learn from them?
Maybe it was the fact that a junior-level employee was given the task of completing the interview. Maybe it was the fact that they are a PR firm, and it’s their job to spin. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t tell them point blank that I wanted real answers and not a commercial (silly me for thinking that was a given).
But what an ironic twist - I wanted a conversation from a conversation marketer and what I got was a pitch.
Which got me thinking….
How often do marketers forget the three most important things in closing a customer?
Rapport. Rapport. Rapport.
Rapport is the most important step in every sale - whether you are selling a product, a service, a free signup, or even on just the idea of returning to your website - it’s all a sale.
How are you building rapport with your potential customers? How can you do it better?
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 7:35 pm and is filed under Conversation Starters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.6 Responses to “Do you Know When to Pitch and When to Have a Conversation?”
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September 15th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
What a bummer - for them. They missed out a great opportunity for some good exposure. I hope they are reading this now and can put two and two together.
September 17th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Wendy,
You should call them back and ask them why they pitched you so they are aware of it. How frustrating and unprofessional is that?! You hit the nail on the head rapport building =
=trust=sales.
September 20th, 2007 at 5:32 am
It’s their loss! Hopefully they read this and realize their goof. Conversation is the only way a PR company (or really any other company) can succeed. Potential customers don’t want to be pitched to, they want to be heard.
September 21st, 2007 at 8:49 am
[…] Rapport is the most important step in every sale - whether you are selling a product, a service, a free signup, or even on just the idea of returning to your website - it’s all a sale. - Wendy Piersall on Do You Know When to Pitch and When to Have a Conversation? […]
December 19th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
I am new in the Mortgage industry, and listening is the only way to get anywhere with a client. They know when your listening, and when your not. The savy consumer knows what he wants, we just have to listen long enough to really hear what they are saying.
DaveArmer@Gmail.com
The Mortgage Maniac in Wa. State.
January 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I find myself currently a marketing executive to products I use and love. However, I also find that sharing my enthusiasm for the product with potential customers is often hampered when somehow in my own I hear myself giving a pitch! How can I overcome the need to make profits with the need to hear what my customers are saying?