You Can’t Please Everyone

When you are marketing online, it’s very hard to please everyone. Most of the time, my customers are like a loyal fan-base hanging on my every word and waiting for my next missive. On the other hand, sometimes I manage to annoy people. Like a recent customer, for example, who complained that my email headlines hurt his sensitivities.

Time is A Factor

Now, I don’t set out to insult anyone (usually) but I refuse to compromise on being myself. By being myself, I mean that I sometimes shoot from the hip and use whatever medium I think best to get my message across. As Mr Wolf said in Pulp Fiction: “If I’m curt with you it’s because time is a factor. I think fast, I talk fast, and I need you to guys to act fast… ”

Salesmen Sell

You see, as an affiliate marketer, I am basically a salesman, and guess what salesmen do? Correct! They sell. I have been selling online for many years and it’s something I know how to do well? How do I know this? Because people subscribe to my list, they stay on my list (well most of them anyhow), they buy my stuff and I make commissions. Very healthy commissions too.

Grumpy Old Men

If you are a seasoned marketer or just starting to make money online, you will get people’s goat up, you will tread on people’s toes. My advice, however, is if something is working for you and making you affiliate revenue, then don’t change because one or two grumpy old men get insulted by the language you use. That said, if using “street language” doesn’t suit your personality then don’t do it. Use whatever medium you need to get your point across, so long as you stay true to yourself.

But You Make This Look So Easy

When you are successful, most people will applaud you, but a small minority will be green with envy. They are struggling in business and are trying to convey a professional demeanor and yet here you are simply being yourself, talking normally and making $60,000 a month in commissions. So when they say they don’t like your language, what they really mean is they don’t like the fact that you make affiliate marketing look so easy.

Here’s The Door

So, here cometh the lesson: just be yourself. Some people will love it. Some people will hate it. But you will sleep at night (and make a lot of money in the process). If you get this, then you have what it takes to succeed in this business and do so ethically. Those who hate it can always unsubscribe. Now, if a paying customer genuinely didn’t receive what you promised them, or feels short-changed, then you need to address their concerns of course. But, to answer the title of this article, when customers or prospects complain about you being yourself, you don’t have to do anything. They know where the door is.