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Ethics in Marketing: Use Your Marketing Superpowers for Good Not Evil

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Marketing Ethics: Use Your Marketing Superpowers for Good not Evil, Halley GrayEver notice yourself with credit card in hand about to buy an insanely expensive unicorn horn warmer? Something you clearly don’t need since you live in the tropics, but you purchase anyway?

Marketing at its core is persuasiveness. The ability to make your customer feel understood, liked and excited. In the wrong hands though it is kryptonite, uranium and a really stabby pencil rolled into html form.

I’ve been hoodwinked myself with super powerful marketing. I found myself super-charged on my credit to see that what I had received was … generic advice.

It made me Hulk-angry, and ha ha oddly enough they don’t do refunds! So weird (said with scathing sarcasm).

Here are some guidelines for marketing/selling (and keeping your soul):

1. Have a contract/T&C’s (terms & conditions) to protect your business, but if your customer wants a refund on your info product – give it to them. NOW. If it’s for services, find a way to move forward with either a partial, full or new agreement.
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2. Check in with your customers and clients to make sure they have what they need.
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3. Detail in your sales copy CLIENT REQUIREMENTS – do I need a website? Tell me that first. Do I need 10 hours a week for 12 weeks to complete this? Let me know. Be rigorous about getting the right fit client from the get-go.
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4. Be honest. Does this work for 80% of the people who buy it? Write a post on that letting us know why the other 20% didn’t get results.
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5. Testimonials. Include a mix of stellar, great and ok testimonials. Maybe even include a page where I can see the full on honest feedback from happy customers.
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6. Be upfront about the value – does it save me hours of time? Will I make money from it? How do you know?
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7. If it feels spammy/hammy/salesy then it is. Pretend like you’re talking to a friend who needs help – what would you say?
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8. Include a freebie of the content.
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9. Outline the content and what to expect.
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10. If you use a large customer service company, give them the authority to refund to adamant customers with the request to provide feedback.
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11. Do not charge thousands of dollars for generic advice. Only 1-1 should be that pricey.
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12.Treat people the way you want to be treated.

 

Have you been swayed by crooked marketing techniques? How do you approach marketing?

halleypic2Meet Halley Gray

Halley Gray is owner and marketing strategist of Evolve & Succeed. She’s worked with online peeps such as Michelle Ward, Tiffany Han, Lola Falk, Jen Lee and more to get them booked out, sold out, and booming online.
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