The power of negative thinking
Sometimes, it pays to think negative. Case in point: Last week I created a new page for my Web site, 10 Important Reasons NOT to Hire Me.
The key word here is "NOT," of course, and many marketing directors I know would instantly red-line it, then draw an arrow to a margin note that would read, "Please turn this into a positive. This is too negative!"
I think not. In the week following its posting, the "10 Reasons Not" page has become one of the most popular on the site, second only to the home page in visits.
If I had created a link to a "10 Reasons to Hire Me" page, would anyone come? Probably not -- they would anticipate a sales pitch and maintain a safe distance.
But that negative word, "NOT," attracts attention. Some people wonder why I would deliberately discourage business. More experienced marketers understand that I'm qualifying my prospects, and come to see how I manage it. Others are simply curious.
One of the truly beautiful features of the Web is that it allows us to experiment with content then gather immediate, measurable results -- practically for free. Try it yourself. Take something such as, "8 Ways You Can Increase Sales" and flip it on its head. With the amazing power of negative thinking, it becomes, "8 Ways You Undermine Sales, Discourage Customers and Reduce Revenue." Then watch what happens to your click-through rates.
Expect a positive result. . .
(Tip of the hat to David Scott for inspiration!)
The key word here is "NOT," of course, and many marketing directors I know would instantly red-line it, then draw an arrow to a margin note that would read, "Please turn this into a positive. This is too negative!"
I think not. In the week following its posting, the "10 Reasons Not" page has become one of the most popular on the site, second only to the home page in visits.
If I had created a link to a "10 Reasons to Hire Me" page, would anyone come? Probably not -- they would anticipate a sales pitch and maintain a safe distance.
But that negative word, "NOT," attracts attention. Some people wonder why I would deliberately discourage business. More experienced marketers understand that I'm qualifying my prospects, and come to see how I manage it. Others are simply curious.
One of the truly beautiful features of the Web is that it allows us to experiment with content then gather immediate, measurable results -- practically for free. Try it yourself. Take something such as, "8 Ways You Can Increase Sales" and flip it on its head. With the amazing power of negative thinking, it becomes, "8 Ways You Undermine Sales, Discourage Customers and Reduce Revenue." Then watch what happens to your click-through rates.
Expect a positive result. . .
(Tip of the hat to David Scott for inspiration!)
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