Marketing's Hidden Presumptions

I got a call from the local phone company the other day. They are very eager to get me back as a client - I switched a couple of months ago to a VOIP competitor who gives better service at half the price. "If you'll come back to us this month, we'll waive our usual installation fee," said the caller.

There's a presumption here that this phone company has the right to charge an installation fee, and that by abrogating this right, they are doing me a favor. Of course, the fact that their competition doesn't charge an installation fee makes this pitch a little harder to swallow.

Marketing is full of such unwarranted assumptions. Companies offer discounts from their "usual" price. Who's to say that their usual price is a fair one? What really gets on my nerves are B2B vendors who claim to "understand your business". "You should consider this an investment in your business," said a caller trying to sell me some business software. As if she knew my business better than I did.

What bothers me about these assumptions is there is a kind of arrogance here. Prospects are seen as sheep that can be led. I'll have none of that, and based on what I see happening in the marketing world, I seem to have lots of company.

What's the alternative for marketers? Give prospects information they want. Once they get to know you, the chances that they'll do business with you are greatly increased. When people need something, they call people they know.