Two of my writer friends
have spent roughly
the same amount of resources
on promotion
over the last decade
on their brands.
One of them
has a HUGE readership.
The other one
has an okay readership.
What is the difference?
Consistency of product.
Trust in the book
the writer will deliver.
The huge readership writer
produces romance novels
in a certain niche.
That’s all she produces.
Her readers know this.
They trust my friend
to tell that type of story.
They trust
when they buy
one of her stories,
she will give them
what they expect.
The okay selling writer
jumps around.
Sometimes her stories
have a romantic happy ending.
Sometimes everyone
in her stories dies.
Readers don’t trust her
to tell a consistent story.
They don’t trust her
to give them
what they’re seeking
(unless they’re seeking
the unexpected).
They buy her stories
but only after being convinced
the story is one
they want.
The huge selling writer
has earned
her readers’ trust.
The okay selling writer
hasn’t earned
that trust.
Seth Godin
shares
“I used to ask,
“If you stole Steven Spielberg’s
address book,
would it help you
get a movie made?”
The point was that
even if you had
the phone numbers and names,
calling them up
and saying you’d stolen them
wasn’t worth very much.
The data has no value
without trust
and connection.”
If you don’t build trust
with your prospects/customers,
every interaction will be
similar
to a brand new interaction
(or worse).
That’s a he11 of a lot
harder
than starting
from a point of trust.
Trust has value.
Respect it.