Like many, I grew up on fairy tales and fables, from mother goose to Aesop.

These stories gave me comfort before bed and my parents never minded reading them because there was always a moral attached to every story. That, and because it would knock me out. It was a win-win for everyone.

Do you remember the story of the boy who cried wolf?

A bored shepherd boy tending the sheep found it amusing to shout ‘Wolf!’ only to see the villagers running up the hill to his aid. When they didn’t see any wolves, the boy laughed at them as they angrily marched down the hill.

Apparently, this guy was a real prankster because he pulled the same prank on those gullible villagers a second time, much to their dismay.

The third time however, a real wolf came to stalk, but when the boy cried out, the villagers simply ignored him assuming he was just being a brat again.

As a result, all the sheep were gobbled up and the villagers later found the boy crying. He asked them why no one came to his aid when he cried ‘Wolf’-An old man comforted him and said:

“No one believes a liar… even when he tells the truth!”

Now imagine that there are thousands of pastors and they make a living doing marketing.

The villagers are prospects and have placed their trust in the shepherd. They expect him to be responsible and to safeguard their interests, or sheep, to keep in line with the analogy.

Ultimately, the wolf is nothing more than the tone and consequence of what happens when you misuse it for personal gain or amusement. Although the wolf is portrayed as this malevolent figure, he is ultimately just a catalyst.

Over the course of many years, many herdsmen have cried ‘Wolf’ and as a result many villagers no longer believe the story. That’s not to say there aren’t responsible, well-meaning, and dedicated pastors out there. It will just take a little more persuasion, reassurance, and promise to win her favor.

Metaphor aside, marketers have a number of resources at their disposal to reassure prospects before they make a purchase decision. It’s not about misleading the masses, it’s about busting the myth of dishonest marketing by leveraging personal experience, common sense, social proof, and risk investing to back up your claims.

1. Personal experience

This aspect of credibility is about offering your prospects the opportunity to experience what you have to offer firsthand, usually with no risk or upfront payment.

You have probably come across this type of tactic hundreds of times before. Here are a couple of examples off the top of my head:

* 30-day trials
* Samples
* Test drives
* open houses
* changing rooms

I like this one because it reveals to the prospect that there are no surprises waiting for them on the other side of their purchase.

Of course, there is always buyer’s remorse to account for, but when it really comes down to it, the buyer takes responsibility for his purchase because he alone is to blame for changing his mind.

Along with risk investing, which I’ll cover shortly, this makes a very strong duo.

For my part, this case study offers my Firepole Marketing prospects a form of personal experience, even if it is offered through the scope of my understanding and interpretation.

When I started this experiment, I was following the example of the course to the letter. I never tried to get off topic and was essentially trying to reproduce every single thing he was giving me, thinking that was the way to go.

Little by little, I changed that view and started reading other blogs, namely Copyblogger, and realized that success cannot be found under one roof.

The key is to take advantage of other resources, other perspectives and ideas and always be hungry for more information, wherever you find it and whenever it can be useful to you.

Never limit your ability to grow.

Also, I want to make something clear.

If it wasn’t for Danny and Peter, not to mention the support system Firepole Marketing has provided me, I would have given up a long time ago. That is a fact that, until now, has stood the test of time.

I needed that support, and between you and me, it’s extremely hard to find online. People are usually left to their own coin and that is one of the main reasons why they never reach the level of success they feel they are entitled to.

Every week like clockwork I receive an email with the latest marketing chapter and although it is a simple concept, this system has kept me focused, accountable and diligent in my goal of building a real business for myself.

Alright, before I get too far off topic, let me end by saying that ‘Personal Experience’ is my strongest credibility suit, not because it’s also my gimmick, but because that’s the reason I’d like you to have to believe. me, more than any of the others.

2. Common sense

Using common sense in your writing means getting your message across in a way that is plausible to your followers.

It’s a little harder to explain than the other four credibility tactics, so I’ll let these famous company slogans do the talking:

of beers – A diamond is forever

M&M’s – Melts in the mouth, not in the hands

Walmart – Save money live better

Canyon – The image is everything

As you can see, it’s nothing special, just common sense, right? Exactly.

This aspect of credibility is by far the most difficult of the four, not only to master, but also in the way that it reinforces a potential customer’s perception of your brand and offering.

It’s sneaky, subtle, and often goes unnoticed because it’s packaged so innocently that we let it slide.

However, it is extremely effective because it makes the mind validate factual and obvious information and manages to include the company in the validation process simultaneously.

Like I said, sneaky.

I’m sure you’ll find examples of this whenever a benefit is mentioned, sometimes on purpose, but most of the time inadvertently.

3. Social proof

Here is one that most of us are already familiar with. In fact, it could be argued that this is the most current and powerful form of credibility used by online and offline businesses alike.

Why does it work so well?

To put it bluntly, people will do what everyone else does. They seek validation to counter the scam, for personal image and also because, more than ever, they have too many options and too little time.

What are they waiting for?

They want an indication that other people agree with their methods and their recommendations.

Depending on the business in question, leveraging social proof can not only be effective, but essential to your ability to convert a potential customer into a buying customer.

Here is a list of examples that reveal how you can use social proof to bolster your credibility:

* Customer testimonials (video, audio or written)
* Case studies (live or written)
* Third party recommendations or reviews (paid or unpaid)
* Endorsements (celebrity, professional)
* Certification (seal of approval, awards)
* Statistical data (studies, visual representation of units sold/followers/blog comments)
* Social networks (Facebook likes, Twitter tweets, Digg diggs, etc.)

All of this will instill a sense of community in your prospects, showing them that you are connected and that other people have also invested their time, trust, and money in your business.

4.Reversal of risk

I saved this for last because unless you can successfully combine it with one of the other credibility tactics outlined above, you probably won’t get very far.

You’ve probably figured out that risk investing refers to two things in particular:

1. Money back guarantees
2. Guarantees

The problem is that they are not as effective as they used to be because they are on every landing page without exception and hardly anyone notices. It’s just standard practice now.

If you don’t have a money back guarantee or warranty, you’re pretty much dead in the water.

As far as I’m concerned, if you’ve managed to create something of value, something that you’re proud of and have the utmost confidence in will benefit your buyers, this shouldn’t keep you up at night. .

If that’s the case, you can always sweeten the deal and convert more prospects by making your guarantees attractive, something like a 110% money back guarantee or maybe even a lifetime guarantee if you feel really confident about it. what it has to offer.

The only rule to follow is to play fair and keep your promises. That’s just good business.