Don’t worry them, worry for them — Kelford Labs Daily
And they’ll trust you more.
“If you tell me not to worry about anything, I will end up worrying about everything. But if you tell me what is worth worrying about, then I am more likely to drop the focus on side issues. And even on the critical issues, I will worry less once I know you are worrying for me.”
— Peter Sandman, Responding to Community Outrage
If you want to worry someone, tell them not to worry.
If you want to destroy someone’s trust in you, tell them to trust you.
Why?
Because we shouldn’t have to say those things, if they were true. Instead of having to say something, we could demonstrate it.
We could show the person that there’s nothing worth worrying about, instead of telling them not to worry. We could act in a trustworthy manner, instead of insisting they trust us despite our behaviour.
Positive affirmations of what should be self-evident always backfire, and yet business owners and marketers do this sort of thing all the time.
They say things like, “We’re the best,” or, “We’re honest,” or, “We’re not like other companies.”
Imagine you’re about to get in a car with someone and they tell you, “Don’t worry, I’m a really good driver. Trust me.”
How quickly would you get out of that car?
But imagine, instead, that they point out their fancy new snow tires. And before they move the car, they check their mirrors and blindspots.
Suddenly, our trust starts going up, not because they told us to trust them, but because they acted in a trustworthy manner.
By showing us that they’re worried about the right things, we can worry less.
So do this today:
Take a spin through your website. Read every major line, heading, and CTA, and ask yourself:
“Is this telling prospects to trust me?”
Are you saying, “Hop in, I’m a really good driver”?
Or, “Check out my safe car and driving record”?
Are you telling them to trust you, or showing them why they should?
Reply to this email to tell me what you think, or ask any questions!
Kelford Inc. shows communicators the way to always knowing what to say.
