We all know the feeling.
You’re in a meeting with a salesperson and it suddenly dawns on you… “I’m definitely not going to buy this thing”.
Your mind is wandering, you’re starting to get bored, and there’s no going back on your decision.
And the key reason? A lack of connection.
You wish they’d finish talking so you can wrap up the whole awkward affair and stop wasting everyone’s time… but the salesperson hasn’t noticed. They’re so caught up in their own message that they forgot about the most important part of their job – making you feel heard and understood.
My salesperson story
This exact scenario happened to me the other day. The salesperson clearly had a fixed plan in their head: they didn’t ask me any questions, they didn’t listen to me, they just powered through their pitch.
It felt like I was just a box to tick.
What they were saying wasn’t wrong, exactly – it just didn’t speak to the specific problem I was experiencing in my business.
By making it all about their agenda instead of focusing on what I really wanted, they completely missed the mark (not to mention missed the sale!).
Connection is key
It got me thinking about how often I see businesses doing this in their marketing.
It can be tempting to focus on what YOU want to say, but when was the last time you stopped to consider if that’s what your target audience truly wants to hear?
If your message doesn’t make people feel seen and understood, they’re going to tune out… just like I did.
Lots of people believe that marketing is all about persuasion, when in reality it’s about something else entirely: human connection.
So how do we achieve that?
By asking questions, by really listening, by putting yourself in your potential client’s shoes – and by genuinely trying to solve their problems, rather than sell them something.
If you’re looking for help with your messaging, our Crispy comms team is all about crafting clear, creative, compelling copy that gets right to the heart of what your audience cares about – words designed to have them leaning in rather than zoning out.
We’ve got tips aplenty on our Resources page (the article “I’m stuck for content ideas. What do you recommend?” is a great place to start!). Or book in for your free Marketing Kickstarter where you’re guaranteed to feel understood, supported and guided – not a hint of hard-sell in sight.