I received an email today from a well-known information marketer (who I have the misfortune to share surnames with) inviting me to join him at a “Herd Building Day” at an upcoming seminar he’s putting on. I’m sorry, but something about the title of that program just screamed “Come on out…you can learn to be a douchebag like me!” when I read it.
“Herd Building Day”? Seriously? I have a question: are they going to teach me how to build a “herd”, or am I going to become part of the “herd” that they’re building? My guess is the latter. But wait, there’s more: if I’m one of the first 800 to sign up, I get a super-razzoo discount AND they’ll let me to be part of the “herd” day for free! Please. Spare. Me.
I’ve had my suspicions about this particular marketer before. The worst was when I received a series of “invitations” to a previous event that became progressively more abusive the closer the event got, eventually culminating in an email that seemed to question my intelligence, pleading with me to pay up and attend the seminar so I could be smart like them. I wish I would have saved that email, since it was about the closest thing to a perfect example of how to market like a jackass I’ve ever seen. Instead, I let it get under my skin and deleted it. Oh well…I’m sure there will be another.
So, back to “Herd Building Day”. Can you think of a more insulting way to refer to your clients than calling them your “herd”? I can’t, and I’ve been trying to think of something for the past 20 minutes. Maybe your “mindless zombie pack”? No: I think I’d actually rather be a zombie than part of your “herd”. At least if I was a zombie, I could still come after you to eat your brain.
Let me be perfectly clear: I’m not one of those people who hates sales and marketing. In fact, I’m a big fan of sales and marketing. Ask anyone who knows me: sales and marketing is what I do, it’s what I live, eat, sleep and breathe. I just like to see it done right. When someone refers to “building a herd” of customers, it turns my stomach. After all, what do you do with a “herd”? You milk it for all it’s worth, right? Does that sound like marketing done right to you?
You know the part of this invitation that bothers me most, though? The fact that there’s a better than average chance that the seminar is gong to sell out. Why? Because there are plenty of people who would love nothing more than to build a herd that they can milk for everything it’s worth. There are people who are more than happy to fall for the appeal of a shortcut to success. They’ll line up, cash or credit card in hand, for the opportunity to learn how to make a quick buck off the gullibility of the “herd”.
What they don’t realize, though, is that they are the “herd”.
Do me a huge favor: don’t be like them. Accept and commit to the fact that lasting success comes to those who follow a course of demonstrating, on a daily basis, that they have the best interest of their customers at heart. Wouldn’t you rather do that than be part of the “herd”?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Rice, Karen Rothstein. Karen Rothstein said: RT @jerrykennedy Effective Marketing Without Becoming a Douchebag | The Motivation 101 Blog http://bit.ly/9g6FLP [...]
Very well said Jerry! Not many people are willing to be so open about how they really feel. Greatness is rarely achieved by being a conformist!
Thanks for saying so, Brad. I’m totally with you on being a non-conformist; being yourself is the only real way to succeed.
If there was a case to be made for labeling one a douchebag, you made it soundly, completely, and unequivocally. That is not defamation, rather, definition of character! Excellent…
Wow…thanks Dave! I appreciate your comment and I’m glad you enjoyed the post. In your opinion, what is it that makes someone think that calling their customers a “herd” is OK?
I agree 99%. The one percent is reserved for what you said in the 2nd to last paragraph; it’s going to work.
Some people measure success purely in dollars. I met with a pizza guy the other day that to emphatically told me he does NOT have to say “thank you” to his customers! He feels they get a good value in his pies and receives fair compensation for providing them. End of transaction.
Being in the “thank you” business myself my first thought was “e’gads! He’ll never make it!” But he will probably do fine. It’s just that I choose not do business that way.
It’s actually more beneficial (IMHO) to have idiots out there marketing so we have someone to point at and say “Don’t be THAT guy”.
[...] be used in the Gulf oil spill. I don’t want you guys and gals to start acting like a “herd”! I do, however, want for this product and Mobius’ claims to get some media attention so [...]
Could be arrogance. Could be ignorance. Could be a person trying to put their “spin” or variation on some tired lame theme. Could be Freudian! While a group of sheep an be referred to as a herd, in which case fleecing a member of the herd out of their cash comes to mind, there are more commonly refereed to as a flock. In which case he simply may be trying to take the cache and say “flock you” very much” as he laughs his way to the bank!
Or he could just be, as you made the case convincingly, a douche-bag…
[...] lot of people responded to a post I wrote last week about marketing like a douchebag. The post was written in response to an e-mail I received from someone who wanted me to come to a [...]
Wow, herd building day. Just think of all that cow doo-doo.
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I know, right? Terrible way to think of, let alone treat, your customers…