How Casual Can You Be as an Online Marketer?
June 30th, 2009 | 
Author: I started a thread in the Warrior Forum last night to debate whether or not it’s okay to have a potty mouth in your info products. I did this because when I launched my report last night called How to Write Product Reviews for Cash ($14.95) I got one email back about my language – my customer found it offensive. She’s a good customer, a solid person. So I immediately refunded her, apologized, and sent a clean version for her.
I’m torn after reading all of the replies. On one hand, I feel like it’s me – when I write, I don’t want to tone myself down or watch what I say. If I want to say ass-kisser, I want to say it. On the other hand, someone made a good point – people are paying for my info product – and they might be offended. Now if it was free, it might be my say. But if a customer is paying, it’s part their say, is it not?
Maybe not! Maybe they can keep their money in their pocket, but obviously, my goal is to cast a wide net.
Here’s the Warrior Forum Thread if you want to read it – it’s a great debate!
What do YOU think? Post here or in the forum – I really don’t know what to do but everyone agreed that offering two version is wimpy. And that’s what I did after my customer was offended.
tiff 
Posted in Internet Marketing
I’m not offended one bit. Usually it seems when you speak that way on your blog, it appears you’re very passionate about the subject matter which I’ve come to rely on and look forward to.
I was on a IM teleseminar call recently when the guy started talking about the ‘fat’ niche. He went on and on about how this is a profitable niche if you can ’stomach’ it.
Initially I was offended because, well I’m considered fat by society’s standard being a size 14. I wrestled emailing the guy whose list I’m on to give him some choice words about how he might have been offending some of his customers.
Ultimately however I decided not to because at the end of the day I chose not to be offended or allow his word choices to define my reaction to them.
Well as to being wimpy, you aren’t! Just because you wanted to go the extra mile with a customer isn’t wimpy (but you would be like Burger King pretty soon “hold the pickles, hold the lettuce special orders don’t upset us all we ask is that you let us serve it your way”) So don’t go too far as John Taylor pointed out.
It was caring of you to redo it for her. If she was a first time customer maybe you’d just let it go, but since she was a loyal repeat customer you did it out of respect for her trust in you.
It is hard to be a pleaser, huh? Sooner or later you just have to be “good enough” and let it go at that.
Hope you had a good nap!
Thanks Sunshine! I think some said the blog, web 2.0 and forums can be saltier but the products should be tamer. I dunno…
And yeah I hate seeing fat people put down – it hurts my feelings. But its a fact of life. I’d love to be a 14! LOL
Have you seen those new BK ads? Saucy! It’s like they’re catering to men only. LOL
Well for what is it worth I am one of the baby boomers and I regret the passing of some of the polite, respectful ways we had. I think that there is a level if informaty which has underminded our own levels of self respect and maybe to my generation disturbing.
So I would say that as a business owner how you present and communicate with your customers reflects your attitude and perspections of them. Courtesy and politeness: how do you feel when going into a shop to buy something and the shop assistant speaks to you in a familar way using everyday slang etc. I know that I would be very upset and feel that my custom was not appreciated. By enteringthe shop and approaching a sales assistant in order to purchase a product I am allowing them access to my hard earned money.
I will therefore say that polite courteous language at alltimeswhen selling.
I don’t know. I have the worst potty mouth out of everybody I know online, even Naomi “Tourette’s Survivor” Dunford, so it’s hard to imagine being offended by some really tame language.
I especially can’t imagine asking for a refund because of a swear word.
Unfortunately, to please our customers, we sometimes have to refrain from being ourselves completely. Either that, or we can be ourselves and accept that we may lose some readers/customers. I personally choose the latter.
Hi Linda! I respect your opinion
You see to me, me communicating in slang like I did and joking around meant I had a friendly connection with them – more personal. Because if I felt stiff (like if I met the Queen for instance), I’d be stuffy and not myself. I would feel opposte than you do about the clerk – I’d feel like I was more important to the clerk than if he was formal with me.
But I see your POV
I just have an opposite one – however, I need to cater to the needs of my customers.
tiff
Thanks for sounding off Cassie – I am trying to perform a balancing act
I think you should be yourself…If this is an old customer then she’s read your stuff already and as long as every other word is not a swear word I think it’s okay. Maybe put a
by the word or use *&&%^%$$%# for the word to keep everyone happy.
But there is this—How can you be yourself if you’re not? A few words are not going to hurt anybody but them and they’ve read your stuff before so they should know how you talk…
One of the reason I like to read your stuff is because you talk “to me” not “at me”…so a few swear words are not going to hurt. Well, not me anyway.
If they object then tell them to read the Rich Jerk if they really want to be offended. He was okay but he got carried away with the insults.
And you won’t do that! So just stay yourself and let the ones who get offended, be offended.
Sara
You’re right Sara we all have our threshold. I remember when I left the RichJerk list – he sent out an email to the effect that he planned to F*&^ all the widows from 9-11 or something. It was horrible.
An interesting debate for sure… If YOU thought you’d crossed the line that’s one thing… but if someone else says you’ve crossed “the” line then have you? Their line is not your line. You’ll never please everyone.
I do remember during my training as a writer that one of the tests was the imaginary ‘read aloud’ test. Picture yourself at the front of the room with the following people in attendance:
A priest
Your Mum
A police officer
Some Sunday school kids
Your Grandparents
A Lawyer
etc
If you could say what you say without squirming then you’ve created something “safe” … and potentially boring *wink*
I loved George Carlin because he was outspoken. Others found him rude and boorish. Go figure.
~ James