A speaker at a recent meeting enumerated the different tactics scammers use on their victims. The list was shockingly familiar….
- Use storytelling to connect with people
- Evoke strong emotions to overcome logic
- Use urgency to drive action
Like us marketers, scammers often have a sophisticated understanding of human behavior and persuasive tactics. And we’re all trying to get people to give us money.
So. How are we different from the scammers? Sure, ethics. But how will the people we seek to serve know that? We have to demonstrate that we are worthy of trust. And that means getting clear about what separates our tactics from those who intend to deceive. And making sure we’re applying those distinctions thoughtfully and consistently.
Use Storytelling To Engage People
I think we can agree that a Nigerian prince seeking a person’s banking information is clearly off limits.
Yet many times, the stories we tell are just as false as that imaginary prince.
We may devise composite characters to honor confidentiality. Make up a quote for a press release. Invent incidents and people to make a point. We tell stories about the superiority of glassware, electronics, cars, software, etc., when those products’ performances differ little from those of others like them. We use actors in our videos, performers in live shows, even, at times, stock photos.
The Story Must Have An Honest Core
In my opinion, we can use the constructs of drama and fiction (and scammers!) as long as our central promise, the core of the stories we tell, is honest. We’re on solid ground if:
- The character composites and inventions fairly and accurately illustrate our customers and their situations
- Quotes reflect the true feelings of the person for whom we’re speaking (and, of course, we allow the speaker to review and approve the quote.)
- We are clear that the product superiority we are touting is not (always) technical superiority, but a different measure, such as status, memory, nostalgia or other intangible.
Use the comment section to tell me where you draw the line. Are there certain techniques and tactics that you won’t use?