If you’re trying to get an idea out into the world, whose opinion should you focus on? Who are you trying to convince?
In the beautiful wave of feedback I got last week (more than halfway through replying!), someone pointed out I started my request with, “If you like these emails…”.
They wondered if I was unintentionally filtering out the opinions of people who don’t like these emails.
I told them that was not the case.
I was intentionally filtering those opinions out. My only focus is making things even better for the people who do like them.
This brought to mind an email from friend of the list Jonathan Alger’s excellent Making the Museum newsletter.
In it, he lays out 5 visitor types. Here they are (and how they apply to your website visitors or email readers):
- Strong Agrees (love your ideas -> keep doing what you’re doing)
- Weak Agrees (like your ideas -> need objections countered)
- Fence-Sitters (aren’t sure -> need some convincing)
- Weak Disagrees (don’t like your ideas -> need concessions)
- Strong Disagrees (hate your ideas -> you can’t help them)
Don’t spend your precious energy on the Strong Agrees, Strong Disagrees, or Don’t-Cares. Their minds are already made up.
Weak Disagrees will be hard to win over — if you even can.
Your ideal readers (or prospects) are the Weak Agrees. These people are already halfway sold. All you have to do is speak their language, counter their objections, and meet them where they are.
You can work on Fence-Sitters next, but only if you’re already doing a great job with the Weak Agrees.
Meticulously,
James
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