Some time ago I wrote a post entitled I Don’t Trust You; Now What Were You Saying? that addressed the undermining of trust courtesy of the Great Meltdown.
Among the topics covered was the issue of transparency and how a lack of transparency will undermine the trust equation.
Stephen M.R. Covey in The Speed of Trust says about transparency:
It’s about being real and genuine and telling the truth in a way people can verify. It’s based on principles of honesty, openness, integrity and authenticity.
When you are transparent about your actions, your company and your results, you give people a sense of comfort and confidence because they know that nothing is being hidden from them.
So what happens when you throw chicanery into the equation?
How does a well-respected company gets its reputation dinged because a member of its team decides that a touch of skullduggery will lead to more sales?
Here’s a real life example:
Last week I received the following email (edited for brevity) from Tim at a company whose service I have used and whose technology I have recommended to others – Hubspot:
Subject: I can’t seem to reach you…
I have sent you a few e-mails and tried to reach you via phone, but have not been able to connect. I took a look at your website and noticed you are making some very common mistakes with your title tags and calls to action. These mistakes are likely what’s been holding you back from generating more leads.
I do not want to pester, so If I do not hear back from you after this e-mail, I will assume you are not interested in fixing your site.
Right out of the gate I knew that this was, how shall I put this delicately, blatant BS. Between my three website’s contact pages, email addresses, phone numbers and extremely obvious web presence it’s almost impossible NOT to connect with me.
In fact, as I was concerned that I may not have received a communication (as it could have easily been from a customer), I waded through the murky wetlands of my Spam folder and found nothing.
And then, after assuming that my sites are not working as intended, Tim tosses out the “challenge close”: ….I will assume you are not interested in fixing your site.
My reaction?
I am now suspect of Hubspot and the way in which they engage their clients and prospects in businesses.
Why shouldn’t I believe that if they endorse this sort of slippery marketing that they won’t be the same way if I should become a paying client?
Moral of the story?
If you’re tempted to head down the path of trickery to increase marketing responses, don’t be.
If you are not watching junior members of your team to check for this kind of misstep maybe you should.
After all, why ding your reputation if it’s completely preventable?
5 thoughts on “Chicanery And Skullduggery Can Kill Your Reputation”
Hi Rob –
As HubSpot’s Director of Marketing, I felt compelled to send you a quick note regarding this blog post. Actually, that email is one that we call the “break-up” message and it follows a sequence of events that includes telephone calls and emails. Tim is a very good sales guy and he has 100s of leads that he deals with each day. As a professional sales training executive, you clearly recognize the components of these emails. I’m not trying to make excuses here, just pointing out that you are a highly sophisticated recipient of messages and the message was not meant to be specific to you, but a way of just moving on.
What would you have suggested for the leads that download our content time after time, coming to the HubSpot.com website to learn more about Inbound Marketing and Online Lead Generation? We want to make sure that of the thousands of leads generated each month, that the sales team is able to help the folks that want helping.
Given that you found this message insincere, I’d like to know how you fish or cut bait with prospects?
Jeanne
This is quite a challenge for an email marketer – one common source of this problem is people having multiple email accounts, thinking that bob@acme.com a loyal customer and that the email Bob used to get a white paper, bob1234@yahoo.com is a different person.
I had some discussion going on this a while back:
http://www.roninmarketeer.com/2010/03/06/one-to-one-email-marketing-vs-the-easter-bunny/
@Jeanne –
Thanks for your comments.
Interestingly you say, “that email is one that we call the “break-up” message and it follows a sequence of events that includes telephone calls and emails.”.
And therein are the issues as I see them.
1. There was no “sequence” of events in this case. There was one event – the email in question. And, just so all the cards are on the table, here is the message I sent back to Tim after the one that I found objectionable:
This is truly a bush league sales approach filled with tired tactics that simply don’t work.
Who is your boss? I’d like to talk to them about this before I write a blog post about what not to do in a cold sales letter.
And Tim replies:
Rob,
1) I have taken a look at your website and do have suggestions.
2) I have tried to contact you to share my insights.
3) I have cc’d my Manager for you.
4) I am getting amazing results from this e-mail, I’m sorry you dont like it. I am open to your suggestions though – perhaps we can trade website suggestions for e-mail suggestions, let me know if your interested.
Cheers,
Tim
You see, Jeanne, if there had been a sequence of events and I was simply ignoring his alleged calls and messages than the assertion would be in order. But, sadly, in this case it was prefabricated in the name of a weak attempt to engage a prospect.
2. You ask me: What would you have suggested for the leads that download our content time after time, coming to the HubSpot.com website to learn more about Inbound Marketing and Online Lead Generation?
My first reaction to that question is really what I don’t suggest. As HubSpot is right in the center of the social media/new media vortex I don’t suggest that the first letter that you send to a prospect wreak of the same stench that an email from a copy toner sales solicitation would. Sorry, but that’s how it reads to me and the reaction it evokes. Isn’t social media supposed to be that Utopian land of transparency and above board dealings?
My other observation is, why are you trying to “break up with me” when this email is the first time we have met in a sales person to prospect relationship. So what if I have used your services that you freely offer and recommended your whitepapers to colleagues. Does that mean you need to throw down the “fish or cut bait” right out of the gate?
Lastly, you write: We want to make sure that of the thousands of leads generated each month, that the sales team is able to help the folks that want helping…..I’d like to know how you fish or cut bait with prospects?
Not once has HubSpot, in a direct email to me, asked me what I need or told me what they have to help my business. In Tim’s original email he also wrote These mistakes [title tags and call to action] are likely what’s been holding you back from generating more leads. If you took the time to learn about my business you would learn that my ‘title tags’ are not going to be a driver of increased leads.
So, to recap, if you are not learning about the unique attributes of my business and are tossing out false statements in the process of the opening/introductory email I’m likely not of the mind to give your paid services any thought at all.
It is fascinating that you choose to “fish or cut bait” with prospects after such a limited direct sales outreach. My sales experience suggests that sometimes a relationship needs to form before a buying decision is made…or even considered.
Yes I get invited to attend HubSpot webinars. Yes, I get invited to read HubSpot reports. And yes I do appreciate those services that you provide. Yet to assume that those interactions with your company form the basis for a relationship that can then be assessed and potentially terminated in the blink of one email is just not accurate.
Send me a nice note, buy me a cocktail or maybe a bite of dinner and then if I don’t want to kiss you can break up with me.
WOW is all I can say. Thanks for sharing your experience Rob. I’ve filled out countless forms with Hubspot as have many others due to the wealth of educational content that the company distributes at the cost of your email address and contact info. Getting a potential customer’s mail is a privilege and I would hate to think that this privilege is being abused by such a reputable firm…but clearly it can and does happen. The fact that you (or any of us) have the ability to share our experiences publicly with our communities also speaks to the importance of making sure employees are all on the same page with regard to marketing policies and procedures. Thanks for sharing!
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