To The Jaded: Avoid “Quick and Easy”
We don’t always know what decisions people will make when times get tough for them. Some people flourish, some do not. This post is just to remind The Jaded Buyer and The Jaded Seller to avoid “Quick and Easy” and instead believe in the value created by ”putting in hard work” despite the temptation out there to do otherwise.
When people are short for cash, it is not uncommon for them to choose to do “whatever it takes” to turn that situation around. For some people that means working extra hard, yet for others that could mean “taking advantage of others”. Both paths may even succeed in acheiving financial goals in the short run. That is why financial goals should not be your only goals. Differentiate yourself by providing trust and value for the long-run.
It’s important for entrepreneurs to realize that both buyers and sellers can become “desperate” when they are in a “survival” mode. It is not uncommon to believe that when identities or livelihoods are threatened that people can and will revert to a “dog eat dog” mentality. Instead, strive to adopt and encourage a mentality of abundance of opportunities (i.e., think of a never-ending number of pies) rather than scarcity (i.e., where there are only a limited number of slices in one pie).
Once trust (or naivety) is gone, both buyers and sellers might, at the very least, become suspicious of one another. When this doubt exists, the tragedy is that Buyers looking for solutions might not find the Sellers that are offering the best solutions for them. Your market might not have evaporated, but the trust in it may have. Trust and credibility are vital to long term success and that takes time to build. (I don’t see any quick and easy in that.)
Just because you play by the rules doesn’t mean that others will realize that you do. Don’t give people reasons to doubt your motives.
Consider avoiding those popular, yet empty, keyword phrases such as: ”Make Money Online Quick And Easy”. Have you ever considered that the people that want you to buy their ”get rich quick programs” might actually be trying to do the same thing that you are? Consider, too, whether wanting quick and easy money is what might not have gotten you into trouble to begin with. Consider whether the solutions being sought/provided really address the problems being experienced.
Consider not accepting some of the typically recommended marketing and sales tactics. Sales copy is persuasive for a reason, it still seems to work. Though, personally, these days, I won’t even read long sales copy. I’m not interested in being persuaded by sales tactics. Also, I don’t believe any more that individual testimonials taken at events are indicative of everyone’s experience with a product. And, in this digital era, I don’t believe in scarcity of product availability either. Maybe I’m not the only one on whom these typical marketing tactics don’t work anymore.
Looking at things from the point of view of “The Jaded”, think about what happens when people experience or witness corrupt or compromised work environments that are allowed to flourish for an extended period of time (as in: machine politics; synthetic financial instruments; or Bernie-Madoff-like Ponzy schemes). Both buyers and sellers (in the right circumstances) can feel tempted to succumb to the lure of purported “easy money” especially since “others seem to be getting away with it.” The best way I have found to avoid approaching that slippery slope is by following the time-tested advice of “focus on creating value“ (i.e., solve a problem; provide a solution; fill a need –beyond just the financial ones.)
Since success is defined differently by different people, I can only suggest that you consider choosing the traditional path of “hard work pays off”. Consider positive role models such as these for inspiration:
- Seth Godin’s post “Too good to be true (the overnight millionaire scam)”
- Entrepreneur Magazine’s “A Step Down That’s a Step Up. Model successful people. Learn what makes them and their success unique. Find your own way.
- Life on a Shirt’s blog post: “The impact of timing: why this financial crisis is our biggest break“.
- YouTube video about working hard: Gary Vaynerchuk (Wine Library), Building Personal Brand Within the Social Media Landscape“
So, what do you think? Does this sound do-able? Do you have more thoughts or comments to add? Please feel free to share your suggestions or advice below.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
