Don’t read this post if you are easily offended

The potential for persuasion can be lost at the drop of a word. Mention a controversial issue and many people become so offended that they can’t focus on the overall message, whatever it may be. This is very common in politics. It drives people to vote based on a candidate’s stand on single issues like abortion, taxation, or the death penalty.

I have an opinion that is so controversial in my community, I will not talk about it in my ice cream stores. I will share it with you at the end of the post because I fear that if I tell you now, my overall message may be lost.

Building a rapport with your customers is important, yet there are some things you shouldn’t discuss. Religion is one of them. For instance, if you were a salesperson, this joke would probably be a bad idea. But for our purposes, it’s worth the laugh.

Warning: If anyone is offended by the following, feel free to substitute Rabbi, Imam, Father, Tom Cruise, or whoever for the role of priest.

One beautiful sunny day, a priest and his church’s web designer, John, go out for a round of golf for the very first time.

John tees up on the first hole and takes a huge swing. Whiff.

“%%@ damn it, I missed,” screams John.

The priest looks at the web designer and says, “I am a man of the cloth, please don’t talk that way.”

John apologizes profusely.

John slowly approaches the ball, takes another huge swing, and misses.

“%%@ damn it,” he screams.

The priest lowers his head and says, “You cannot take the lord’s name in vain. If you say that one more time, there will be a problem.”

The web designer shakes his head and approaches the ball for the third time. He takes a slow, deliberate swing and misses again. He holds his breath and starts to turn red. Finally, he can’t take it anymore and screams.

“%%@ damn it.”

The priest immediately drops to his knees and starts to pray. Dark clouds roll in. The previously sunny sky turns grey. Out of nowhere, a lightning bolt flashes from the sky and turns the priest to ashes.

From the sky comes a booming voice.

“%%@ damn it, I missed.”

I have a bad habit of sometimes talking without thinking. I also have a good habit of analyzing impartially what I have said, what I read, and life in general. I woke up this morning thinking of a blog I read last night. My Internet friend, Duane, wrote a very entertaining and informative blog about hype.

What I remembered most about the blog was Duane’s opinion that sushi is dangerous. I looked back over the blog and found some great points. The problem in my frail human mind was that Duane made what I felt was an incorrect statement that I could not get out of my head. It clouded my memory of the post.

For the record, health codes in the U.S require sushi to be frozen at extremely low temperatures to destroy harmful organisms. I respect all opinions and do not get offended by different points of view. The problem is, my brain’s initial reaction isn’t always so fair.

You must consider how customers react to the statements we make about controversial issues. I do not consider sushi controversial. Abortion, politics, and global warming can be.

Now I will share with you the viewpoint that I cannot utter within 100 yards of any of my stores.

I do not believe that mankind caused global warming. I do believe in almost all of the steps being taken to reduce global warming, but I feel that the planet has more immediate problems, namely those resulting from the overpopulation that has accompanied the massive economic growth in previously poor countries like China and India.

People actually get angry with me when I state my global warming opinion. “How can you believe that?” they ask.

You cannot change a person’s beliefs. You can offer good arguments and back them up with statistics and facts. The fact remains that people need to change their beliefs by themselves. All of us in marketing are in the persuasion business. Taylor your messages to your prospect’s needs and desires. Try to avoid putting our primitive human minds in the negative mode.