Yo Tim!

It's like Boy Scouts, I'm working my way up the merit badge
ladder. Thought provoker. Paradigm poker. Pompous
Blowharder. Thanks to all for allowing me to be the
first to point out that there's something sorta ridiculous
about somebody arguing so relentlessly against persuasion
tactics! But it's worth looking silly if I get to keep
reading the reply posts.

Completely fair point. How does this sound? No matter
what approach one takes; hard sell, soft sell, no sell,
there are benefits to each approach, and a price to pay.

So, knowing that, what sales approach should one adopt?
It's confusing for a lot of us, thus this thread.

Somebody might say: It's easy, split test, and you'll have
your answer.

Split testing is incredibly nifty and useful, but it's too
limited a tool to provide the full answer here, imho.

Example: Somebody who really isn't a hard seller in their
heart uses that strategy anyway because they read an ebook
saying that is "the system" that works on the Web.

The price of making this compromise is that this person has
just created a distance between their natural enthusiasm,
the _real source_ of all their power, and their business.
By using a communication style that is a misrepresentation
of who they really are, they are also succeeding in
generating the kind of client list they won't have a natural
ability to connect with.

But, as Tim points out, if this person is instead loyal to
themselves and takes a softer sell approach more in tune
with what their gut is telling them to do, they may
underperform in the "idiot market", which we must all admit
is substantial.

The advantage of using any of the sales strategies in wide
use is that these systems have often been tested by many
smart people over a long period of time.

The disadvantage of adopting anyone else's system is that
you are then by definition not a leader, and you sacrifice
the opportunity to develop your own unique voice, a crucial
asset on the Net.

So, there's no free lunch. Trade offs in every direction.

We understand that, but still we understandably reach for
some kind of principle or system that can guide us towards
the right sales strategy decisions.

Perhaps Mike's "authentic copywriting" concept can bring us
towards a conceptual framework we can all be comfortable in?

Business is about connecting people, yes? Let's try to
close all the little gaps that divide us from our client.

1. Connect with who I really am.
2. Connect who I really am to my business.
3. Connect my business to those who like who I really am.

In the long run maybe a process something like this is a
more important ingredient to our success than memorizing
rules from a system that may be an accurate reflection of
who somebody else really is?

Thanks again for the thread!

Phil