The Baer Facts Issue 93: How to Climb the Pyramid of Persuasion
Behind the Scenes with Me
Want to know how I run a tequila consulting and content creation business simultaneously with speaking engagements and corporate work?
I spilled all the tea on my pal David Newman's podcast: The Selling Show. Plus, bonus tips for how to taste tequila the right way.
The Pyramid of Persuasion
Distrust in business leaders and CEOs has increased 21% since 2021, according to this year's Trust Barometer from Edelman.
This is why I typically shake my head when I see businesses trot out their top leader as a spokesperson in advertising, social media, or similar.
The reality is that there is a distinct hierarchy of believability in terms of who/what conveys messages to customers and prospects.
I call this the Pyramid of Persuasion.
Most companies communicate from the bottom up, with messaging typically coming from "the company" without a name or a face attached.
This produces minimum believability and relatability.
Some organizations use execs as a "face" for the brand. Think of Dave Thomas from Wendy's as a legendary example.
But today, with trust in leaders diminished, customers feeling a connection with senior leadership may be unlikely.
The best approach is to operate at the top of the pyramid, with messaging from "regular" employees and customers.
We talked last issue about marketing like a documentary, not like a feature film. This approach dovetails perfectly with the Pyramid of Persuasion in that the main characters of your documentary should be real customers and real employees.
And of course, video is more powerful and believable than text. Look at how Pioneer Seed used a real customer family (The Eppersons) to create a multi-part "documentary" showing them planting soybeans, corn, and other aspects of farm life.
35,000 people watched them ride in a tractor and complain about rain. Why? Because it's real, and relatable to the target audience.
This Pyramid of Persuasion also helps tune how your work with influencers and content creators. Wherever possible they should be be real customers not just one-time transactional endorsers.
And perhaps the best combination of persuasion and control is to grow your own influencer, by taking a passionate team member who's got the rizz and turn them loose to aggregate a fan base.
My pal Alan works for Entremanos Tequila in Guadalajara. The brand used to work with tequila content creators (including me) but they pivoted to allow Alan to DIY social media influence, and it works!
He is now the #1 spanish-speaking tequila content creator online.
As you consider your documentary vs. film approach, think too about how to maximize messages from people that can connect with your target audience: your current customers and your regular employees.
The Books Report
In keeping with this edition's Mexico theme, I recommend to you Familia: 125 Foolproof Mexican Recipes to Feed Your People from Marcela Valladolid.
Marcela formerly had a cooking show - Mexican Made Easy - on television, and now has a YouTube show with memberships, meal kits, etc. She's terrific.
And her cookbook is the right amount of legit recipes without requiring 37 ingredients and a culinary degree.
Jay's Faves
Margarita season is omni-present in Vallarta, but back home the winter thaw indicates that lime-centric imbibing is around the corner.
I want you to be ready, so I'm sharing a special deal from my tequila world.
TC Craft is a delicious, additive-free, affordable tequila that's made 100% by women. And they also make a KILLER margarita mix that's all-natural.
This week only, buy any bottle of blanco or reposado tequila and get a bottle of mix at no cost. $13 value. And free shipping, too!
Note: not available to ship to AL, AK, AR, DE, HI, MS, RI, TN, UT. Sorry! Stupid rules!
Previous Issues
Make Your Next Event Unforgettable with Jay Baer
