Practical Sales Training™ > How to connect with your buyer > The Candid Effect
What is it?
Being candid with your buyer and sharing “insider” information with them can help them to feel important and strengthen their connection to you.
Why does it work?
It works because it removes the formality from communications and inserts a degree of humanity. If you are able to own up to mistakes, reveal behind the scenes “secrets” or anything else that isn’t public information, then your buyer will feel valued and not just like another number or a transaction,.
How can you use it?
We need to be careful that we don’t reveal things that are commercially sensitive or could be damaging to your brand, so use the notion of sharing parts of your life with friends of friends – you wouldn’t tell them EVERYTHING but you would reveal more of yourself than you would to a stranger. This is best delivered in 1:1 conversations more so than in a broader social media post.
What can you share? Things like…
- Behind the scenes – explain how you do something, particularly if it’s deemed as magical or special.
- Own up to a mistake – hopefully a small mistake and, naming no names, can you reveal how you deal with a sticky situation?
- Recall a past failure – earlier in your business things probably went wrong, sharing those stories can be fascinating.
- Express a viewpoint – not really fussed on seeing Star Wars? Anything where your view is counter to the majority can be interesting. (Excluding race, religion and politics of course…)
- Share an interest/hobby – really love artisan cheese festivals? have a Furby collection? tell me more!
Example:
A boutique coffee brand sends a message to its subscribers:
“We were supposed to launch our new seasonal blend this week, but our roaster had a minor malfunction (yep, we panicked for a moment too). While we get things fixed, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes video of how we hand-select beans and what makes this blend so special. You’ll be the first to know when it’s ready – thanks for being part of our journey!”
This kind of candid communication not only humanises the brand, but also strengthens the bond with buyers by giving them insider access to the story and the process.
See also
