The other day, my six-year-old convinced me to get her this chalk set that promised “3-D effects on your own driveway!” She pointed to the kids on the box, glowing with the success of creating artistic, 3-D effects that would rival those of Pixar. “Please, Mommy, please!” she begged.
I gave in, shelled out the $12, and we took the box home.
You know the story – it didn’t work. Within five minutes, I had a crying daughter, a box of broken chalk, and a headache.
The problem here? The company oversold their product. They made promises their product didn’t fulfill. Listen up, information marketers and let this be a lesson to you.
Now, the chances that your disappointed customers will end up in tears may be remote, but there are takeaways for information marketers.
Information Marketers Must Avoid Overselling Themselves
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- People read – and believe – your sales page. You may think that no one reads those things, but they do! And they expect your product to perform as described. If you say, “Thinner Thighs in Two Weeks,” that’s what they expect to see. Don’t make promises that aren’t achievable.
- If you don’t fulfill what you say, they will be upset. They won’t blame the extra cookies they had after dinner each night this week or the ice cream sundae they chowed; they will blame YOU and YOUR PRODUCT. If there are limitations on performance, make sure you clearly state them on your sales page.
- If the product doesn’t work, they will tell their friends. My little Ralph Nader has already warned the entire kindergarten not to buy that particular craft product, and you can bet she’ll warn anyone she sees at Target, reaching for the box. Mad customers talk – online, in person, in forums, you name it.
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While you want to tout your product’s capabilities and present it in the best possible light, make sure the results you’re claiming aren’t only possible, but likely, if the product is used as intended and recommended. If the results you cite in your sales copy are not typical, be sure to note that as well. Otherwise you may face the wrath of unhappy customers. And that’s not a pretty sight.
