chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in When Not to Sell Me Something

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

LoneWolf — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:50:20 -0000

I have to agree that the high pressure sales approach is offensive. Make the introduction and then let me come looking for what you can offer.

And I think that an RSS feed or e-mail subscription to a blog is a much different animal than following on Twitter or Facebook -- you signed up for the feed knowing that the blog was promoting something so you've got to expect some selling there.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Shane — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:20:20 -0000

As a result of struggling with this post for a week now, I have removed the link from my autoDM on twitter and disabled my pop-up newsletter prompt.

Bottom line: The imagery of making out with you was just too unsettling.

I hope there is an effective way to achieve the same results because I don't want to have to pick between the imagery and the money. Sort of seems like I lose either way.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

davefleet — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:27:27 -0000

@Chris - you know I heart ya, big guy. The fact that you're constantly not selling is the reason I like to rib you on posts like this :)

Oh, and @ed - classy. Very classy.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Chris Marsden — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:09:43 -0000

I think this is a bit of a balancing act, both in "real" life and social media. I have resisted using a DM autoresponder simply because I know it isn't real and so do the people who get it from me. But I also never hand my business card to people who aren't interested in connecting further. Relationships should happen naturally. If I add something of value, they will dig deeper. Whether its meeting a girl (back when I was single), building a business contact, or connecting via social media.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Rita — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:43:24 -0000

Great job! Once you've been sucked into the funnel you find yourself swirling around with all their jv's too. You wrote exactly what many of us feel.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Robin Grant — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:31:18 -0000

Perhaps Seth Godin needs to republish Permission Marketing, re-framed for the age of social media....

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

tjgillies — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 23:36:56 -0000

I like the phrase "Don’t sell me the bigger picture when I haven’t even bought the handshake."

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

kevin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:27:15 -0000

I guess I shouldn't have undone your pants at blog world expo

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Denise — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:27:12 -0000

Great point, on the other hand if we weren't all either buyers or sellers we would all get off the internet and watch TV instead I think. Life s about choice, and you and I can choose to ignore the sellers whose products do not appeal to us, without of course denying them the right to make the offer.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Jim Whatley — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:36:58 -0000

thanks for not kissing Us.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Melody — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:48:08 -0000

Great post, Chris! Good analogy, and right to the point.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Wesley — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 01:15:36 -0000

Thanks for the tip. There's nothing wrong with advertising but it works both ways. It's hypocritical to moan about people advertising to you when you're doing the same to others all the time, and sometimes even not being upfront about doing it (like with some of your book "reviews," which in reality are just ads).

I haven't bought the first something either. And you have to get them into the store somehow. And, it's annoying to buy something then have the seller keep trying to sell you more.

You don't "put out free shit." You don't just want to help people with this blog. You want more and you know it. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but the goal of your blog is fame and money, whether through advertising or through the clients it gets you.

"The easiest way to stop seeing it is to opt out." Well, take your own advice. Whoever is selling to you, opt out. Don't send friend requests to people on Facebook if it annoys you that much. Don't follow people on Twitter if you don't want an automated 140 character direct message from them. It works both ways.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

David H. — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:25:57 -0000

Sounds like it was a bad day.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

deb — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:52:11 -0000

as always, I agree. I have no problem with people trying to sell me something. I can ignore them online. or unfollow them. here's hoping I'm not trying to sell someone when I should be shaking their hand!

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

chrisbrogan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:02:28 -0000

@Wesley - same as Dave- if you can't endure the Google reader Adsense ad that goes with my blog post, unsubscribe. I put out free shit all the time, every day, and if you're offended by the ad, the easiest way to stop seeing it is to opt out.

If you somehow equate that with the post, that's brilliant. You've completely and utterly uncovered the meaning of my blog post.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Jason — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:59:33 -0000

>you’re trying to put your tongue in my mouth.

Depending on how good the facebook profile pictures look, this could actually be a good thing...

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Ed — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:58:29 -0000

@Wesley @Dave

Get a life.

No seriously get something,
but the toothpick out of your ass.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Wesley — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:52:25 -0000

Don't sell to me right above a post about when not to sell to you. Oh, wait, you already did that.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

chrisbrogan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:36:18 -0000

@Dave - I bet it was huge! Like...50 pixels tall, even.

That's me. Always selling.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Ryan Stephens — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:22:11 -0000

Chris,

I think a lot of you. I think you're a great marketer, and I think you provide some of the most practical and tangible advice on social media online. All this said, I can assure you that I would NEVER stick my tongue in your mouth.

I don't re-follow people that have very uneven distribution in how many they're following and I often unfollow people that have a habit of too many tweets. Even if they're trying to provide value on the 13 posts they just did in a row, chances are I might unfollow; there's just too much noise.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

peters_web — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:00:46 -0000

I'm starting to see some of that too. I'm prepared to un-follow boring people. One twitter profile I saw was looking for 10K followers and following 0 (zero). I did not follow.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

davefleet — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:55:37 -0000

Nice, Chris.

I'm amused that I read this post beneath a big fat ad in my RSS reader.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Shannon Ehlers — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:04:34 -0000

Another one of those posts where the real power is in the imagery of the words and the impression that it leaves. Excellent.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Duncan — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:49:02 -0000

Social Media Club Indianapolis has a rule. No selling allowed during the meetings. Its so old school to assume because you have access that your message is welcome or even needed or as you say appropriate.I was just at a gym I just joined. Although selling is hard core and expected in some countries huh. As Americans we dont like to be sold to and in most cases we dont like to negotiate either.

Re: When Not to Sell Me Something

Tish Grier — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:16:50 -0000

lol! I was just thinking something similar today when I was reading about a networking seminar (that I decided not to attend.) Seems like the same ham-handed techniques of f2f networking have mutated to fit social media. Stilted networking, where it's all about trying to sell you something vs. getting to know the person, is, I discovered, why I hate so many "business networking" events. And why I'm also bugged by people who "follow" me on twitter just to use my twitter stream as a billboard or leave a link to their blog in a comment on mine. yuck!