Leave Evangelism to Billy Graham

While conducting a seminar workshop entitled "Old Media vs. New Media," Lewis Green's enthusiasm for the topic was palpable. And in a post at his blog, he says initial feedback was positive. A review of post-talk surveys, however, revealed that at least one audience member thought the message had crossed into the realm of passionate promotion. Writes Green, "He equated what was being said as social media evangelizing, not as a forum for information, which was the workshop's purpose. And for him, and several others, evangelizing leads to skepticism."

This reaction got Green thinking about customer evangelists in general. And he came to the conclusion that anyone who seems "blinded to reality by their beliefs" isn't necessarily the best representative for your company. In fact, you might actually lose business because potential customers are put off by your evangelists' hard-sell approach. His recommendations:

• Stop using the word 'evangelism,' when the older phrase 'word-of-mouth marketing' is both accurate and less problematic.
• Stop using strategies and tactics designed to encourage overly enthusiastic advocacy. "[L]et's inform, not evangelize," he says. "Let's turn down the volume just a notch."

The Po!nt: The result, according to Green: "[W]e will have loyal customers, who when asked or offered an opportunity to comment on a brand, product or service will appear as a trustworthy and credible admirer of the business we represent or of our business."

Source: bizsolutionsplus. Click here for the post.

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