I just had a weird experience that reminded me of a “back to basics” principle: being seen as a credible expert.
A few days ago I was feeling a little under the weather. I was being lazy, scrolling through YouTube, when I came across a bunch of videos about people who attack scammers.
Every year hundreds (maybe thousands) of lonely people post a profile to a dating site, or even to Facebook or TikTok. One day they get a message from a good-looking stranger: “I think you’re beautiful. I want to get to know you better. I was drawn to you because you seem nice and kind.”
One YouTube channel, Catfishes, investigates on behalf of people who wonder if they’ve been scammed. Frankly, the episodes soon become redundant. The red flags are all the same. The flattering messages are impersonal, cookie cutter, and/or bizarre (“I’m working undercover so I can’t call my bank”).
All this, of course, leads up to a request for money…and the rest is history.
So what does this have to do with business?
Right after I watched one of those videos, a message appeared in my inbox. The sender was trying to be warm and friendly. She even put a smiley emoji next to the “Dear Cathy” opening.
Then she said:
I came across some of your work on Udemy today while perusing (because I’m a personal development junkie)…
And I thought I’d reach out!
I’m really impressed by the work you’re doing and wondered if I might be able to help you reach more people with it.
I’m a heart-centered digital marketer and I work EXCLUSIVELY with people like you (and I).
People who believe in positive impact, waking people up, and encouraging personal growth.
I believe the world needs more of what you do— especially in this next wave of our world.
Would you be interested in connecting over Zoom to see if I may be able to support you in reaching more people with your work?
Looking forward to hearing back from you, Cathy! [smiley emoji here]
Chat soon.
Now, I suspect this person may be a legitimate business owner. But the message says either she’s a scammer or a raw beginner.
Big red flag: She hasn’t bothered to identify specific features about me. I’ve never worked in the personal growth space. Her message is 100% cookie-cutter.
Just one subtle signal: Overuse of the word “reach” (and frankly, people don’t pay to reach more people; they pay to get more paying clients, even if they’re heart-centered).
So I went to her website. And I still have no idea what she does for her business.
“Something is off” signal: Her website says she’s been in business for ten years. Yet there’s nothing on the website to demonstrate her skills and expertise. She has 3 vague testimonials, signed by first names only…not even a location or indication of who the client was.
After even one year in business, most of us can get more than 3 testimonials with signatures and photos.
She refers to being an expert in funnels. I’d expect to see something about mistakes people make when using funnels…or maybe some hint about what she’s learned about funnels to make them simpler or more effective. If she’s been in business a long time, maybe she’s got a totally new approach to funnels that nobody else offers.
And, needless to say, not a single story could be found on the website.
I couldn’t help thinking, “If this person wanted to scam naive business owners, she’s got the formula.”
More likely she hired an astoundingly bad marketing coach…or she skipped that step and jumped in without starting with her client’s backstory. For sure she didn’t consult with a copywriter. Hopefully, she didn’t spend too much money on setting up her website.
I also don’t think anyone in my community would be this naive…nor would they respond to a message like this one. I tend to attract business owners who have been around at least one block.
But sometimes an extreme example – or story – can drive a point home. You can tell if someone’s a thought leader or a legitimate expert even if they never say, “I’m an expert.” And you can sense something’s not right even if a website checks some of the boxes.
You send subtle signals about your expertise by the way you write content for your blog posts, website, sales letters, and emails. The way you present your insights. Your original perspective. Your awareness of context. And more.
It’s unlikely that anyone comes to your website and thinks, “Scam!” But if you’re not getting signals that people believe you can do what you promised, maybe it’s time for another look at the copy.
To learn more about building credibility and presenting yourself as an expert, you might benefit from my self-paced video course on promoting yourself as an authority in your field. Learn more here.
My courses on Udemy include short courses on storytelling, copywriting, and speaking. I also have a website copywriting course for EFT practitioners and other healers.
