photo credit: shawnzam

Have you heard of the expression “People do business with people, not companies” ?

This is really true in every sense of the expression. If you have to pick and buy a product from 2 salespersons who has delivered the same pitch, how do you pick who to buy from? Very likely you will buy from the person who has appealed to you emotionally. It’s funny how we try to rationalize the things we do (like after we made the purchase) when the truth is, people are swayed by emotional reasons.

So in the world of online commerce, how do you convert that pitch to a sale? You are not flesh and blood to the potential client, you are just text on pixel bits on the monitor.

In every exchange, we try to have a personal touch added to ensure that we remain memorable and special in their minds. This is very apparent in email marketing where you are greeted by your first name and a tone of email that sounds more conversational than pure selling.

This personal-style email allows the subscribers to get to know the company and feel connected to the author of the email. This is a more advanced email marketing practice: the trend now is that of sharing, and not just simply selling.

The popularity of online social media is a strong indicator of this trend. People wish to connect to other people online and places like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace provide the platform for them to do just that.

You sharing a personal story on the next email to your subscribers - that is not copywriting at work -  but a form of personal selling. You are not selling a product but your value. When you get your first wave of subscribers, it is necessary to build a relationship with them first.

The #1 mistake you can make is to start selling and pushing products, before trust is earned and value delivered. It will result in a serious backlash of people unsubscribing in a hurry.

Don’t see list building as a direct sales opportunity. It is the wrong approach. Instead think about building a community of fans and loyal supporters. When you share in a personal voice, it is the start of a long-term relationship with them. Having the correct mindset in your strategy will make sales come in a lot easier.

Remember it is less expensive to create business and buzz from loyal fans than from first-time visitors.