Practical Sales Training™ > How To Get Attention > Censorious
What is it?
Censorious people are those who are very critical of others. People with an eye for detail. Pedants. By desirably making mistakes you can catch attention and engage this type of potential client.
Why does it work?
It works using the Von Restorff Effect. Anything incorrect is quite obvious and stands out to Censorious people and thus it will catch their attention.
How can you use it?
There are 4 ways to do this, but let your creativity run away with how this could integrate with your business.
- Make an obvious mistake in your sales copy.
- Promise to attach something to an email but don’t.
- Make any kind of deliberate mistake that is obvious to spot.
There is a rumour that Starbucks deliberately spell their clients names incorrectly to garner attention on social media – it certainly does work!
Hypothetical Example:
A graphic designer sends a marketing email with a deliberate typo in the subject line:
“I can make your designs stand out – even if your brnad doesn’t yet.”
Many detail-oriented recipients notice the misspelling of “brand” and open the email, thinking, “They should fix that!”
Inside the email, the designer explains:
“Did you spot the typo? That’s how much small details matter. I make sure your designs are flawless so your audience never spots a mistake like this.”
The deliberate mistake triggers attention, engages the “censorious” readers, and creates a clever hook to demonstrate expertise.
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