We gave away a bunch of stuff via Freecycle. Freecycle is a website that connects people with stuff to people who want it. It’s all free, and it’s about making sure used stuff ends up getting used rather than wasted by getting dumped into landfills.
We got rid of beds, furniture, TVs, and on and on.
The way it works is that the donor posts information about the item on the site. The people who want it send an e-mail. It’s not unusual for a good item to get a bunch of responses very quickly.
For example, I listed our dining room table and attached a picture. Within 10 minutes, I had 20 different people messaging me about picking it up. That’s exactly what I wanted.
The people requesting the table sent different kinds of messages. As I read them, with the intent of picking someone to come get the table, I realized that the messages are marketing messages. They’re the sellers and I’m the buyer. I get to pick one of them to take my stuff.
These folks want to sell me on the idea of giving the free item to them rather than to their competitors (the others seeking the table). It’s not all that different from lawyers seeking clients.
Here are some of the actual e-mails I received:
- “I’ll take it.”
- “I want it.”
- “I can come right now.”
- “I really need it.”
- “Still available?”
- “Interested where?”
- “Would you be able to hold till Sunday?”
I got some seriously short e-mails. Two words, three words—not much of a sales pitch, huh?
This one was my personal favorite:
Are those stains on the rug? In the picture it looks like stains.
I enjoyed this one:
We might be able to pick this up tonight. I’ll measure our vehicle to make sure it will fit.
Maybe you should have measured before e-mailing me?
Some of the e-mails got better and more effective:
- “I’ll be there at 1:30, and I can take the bookshelf off your hands if somebody else hasn’t claimed it yet.”
- “I would love to have this! I can pick up tomorrow after 1 pm whenever will work for you. Thanks so much!”
- “Please, may I pick up this table and chairs?? Can be there after 5:30 pm Friday or Saturday by 2 pm. Really need a table.”
- “If you still have the table set, I would love to pick it up at your convenience. My son is getting married, and they need furniture for their apartment.”
- “I really need a kitchen table. My wife and I have been looking but they are so expensive, and we have not been able to afford one. I will come get this now or tomorrow at your convenience.”
This one really worked on me:
I’d love to have the bookcase and the two floor lamps for my special ed classroom. I can pick up anytime this afternoon. Please let me know. Thanks so much!
How to Stand Out From the Crowd
Unfortunately, most of the e-mails were flawed. The Freecycle messengers spent way too much time focused on themselves. The writers would have done much better focusing on me (the buyer) and less on themselves.
The Freecycle folks, like most of us, see the world from their own perspective and not from the perspective of the person on the other side of the transaction. They see what they want and need through their own set of eyes. They aren’t spending time thinking about what the other person wants and needs.
What did I need in this transaction? There are lots of possibilities. I needed:
- the item out of my apartment;
- someone else to do the lifting, moving, and grunting;
- action on my schedule, at my convenience;
- empty space without hassle;
- to feel good about it, to feel valued, and to feel respected;
- to feel generous and to feel like a contributor; and
- to feel safe and comfortable in the transaction.
Maybe I had other, unstated needs? Maybe I needed a friend? Maybe I needed activity/stimulation? Maybe I needed to feel like part of a community and to belong? People act for lots of reasons.
The people e-mailing me about the items would have been better off writing more and attempting to meet more of my needs. They would have been better off putting themselves in my position and thinking about the problem from my perspective instead of solely from their perspective.
What need are they meeting for me? How can they meet it in a way that feels right for me? What can they say that triggers the desired response in me?
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So many lawyer marketing messages are more like “I’ll take it” or “I want it” than they are like “You need help, and that’s what I’m here to provide. I’ll listen and understand and hold your hand while I guide you where you’d like to go. We’ll do it safely, together, and in a way that makes you comfortable and protected. Let’s go now and get this behind us.”
Spending time seeing the world as your prospective clients see it helps them understand that you understand. That’s the starting point of all effective marketing. Stand in their shoes. See what they see. Feel what they feel, and then you can speak in a way they can hear.
