4 Strategies to Turn Your Mistakes, Failures, and Negatives into Effective Marketing Messages

What if everyone finds out you’re not perfect?

What if your customers learn about everything that’s wrong with you and your business? Your every past mistake, every public misstep, every business failure?

Will they abandon you?

That’s a scary thought. And it’s a real possibility.

Everywhere we look, we see customers deserting the brands they used to trust and going to competitors, because those brands made a misstep. Or a series of missteps.

Understandably, many business owners want to protect themselves. So they only reveal things that make them look good. It is the best policy? We disagree.

In today’s post, we want to talk about how being open about mistakes, failures, and all manner of negative things about your brand can actually help your image, not hurt it.

We’ll cover 4 strategies for turning anything negative – as long as it’s legal and well-intentioned – into high-octane marketing fuel for your business. And we’ll do it with lots of examples.

Sounds good? Then let’s dig in!

1. Own your mistakes…

For most businesses, it looks like they have two options to deal with mistakes:

1. Never make them, period. So reasonable. So realistic!
2. If you do, make sure your customers find out as late as possible.

Both approaches are horrible, for different reasons.

The former is impossible. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s never a question of if they make one, but a question of when. And the latter is exactly what gets most companies in trouble in the first place!

Brands don’t lose customers’ trust because they happen to make mistakes… they lose it because they don’t own up to them. They hide the fact, downplay the consequences, and otherwise mess up the golden opportunity to apologize, make it right, and learn from the experience.

Don’t be like that. Here’s a better way to handle it…

Who is doing it?

We want to illustrate this strategy with a great example we’ve come across recently.

AppSumo is a company bringing deals on tech software to entrepreneurs. In one of their offers, they made a passing but distasteful joke about Michael J. Fox, and his Parkinson’s disease.

After facing understandable indignation from customers and the public, AppSumo did exactly what they needed:

1. Issued a public apology and took responsibility.
2. Removed the offending joke.
3. Proved they were sorry by donating the proceeds from the offer to Parkinson’s disease research.
4. Took steps to make sure they will not make the same mistake again.

It’s just one instance, but we feel that it expresses this strategy perfectly. In the online world, people are very quick to get outraged. And if you make a public mistake, the word will get around.

Getting out a solid apology is not “only” the right thing to do – it is a strategic move to improve your image and make a favorable impression on potential customers… who would otherwise get a horrible introduction to your brand.

How to use it in marketing

Of all the strategies we’re discussing today, this is the most “special purpose” one. You can use it in two instances:

2. Direct communication with customers, like emails or other customer-facing content.
3. Public statements about the mistakes you made, like press releases.

2. …and teach others to avoid them

In the past, did you make mistakes in your life and business? We thought so. Now, do you think there are people out there, right now, who are making the same mistakes you did?

And if so, is there any chance that some of them might become your customers, employees, or business partners in the future?

In that case, you have a duty to share your experiences with them – so they could improve a little bit faster than you did when you were in that position. And in the process, these like-minded people will stand with you as followers, fans, and customers.

Wouldn’t that be great? We know that it sounds just a little vague. So let’s illustrate this strategy with an example of someone who fits the bill perfectly…

Who is doing it?

Dave Asprey, the Bulletproof Executive, embodies this strategy. He is always open about the mistakes he made in the past with his health and running his business.

If the world knew him simply as his impossibly productive, super-fit, permanently high-energy self, he would be much less relatable. But because Dave always teaches people how to avoid the mistakes that used to give him grief in the past, they have no trouble making a powerful connection with him and the Bulletproof brand.

Among other places, he shared his sage advice on the first podcast interview we’ve ever done. So check that out if you’re curious!

How to use it in marketing

This strategy lends itself very well to two things:

• Creating remarkable content. Your customers are most likely at the start of their journey. They will appreciate someone telling them, “Hey, I know what it feels like. I’ve been there. In fact, let me tell you all about what a dummy I’ve been!” It works like a charm.

• Crafting persuasive sales copy. Learning about your “origin story” will help your customers believe in the promise of your product or service. If, like Dave Asprey and others, you have a compelling personal journey to share – one that speaks to the effectiveness of what you sell – you should use it in your sales messages.

3. Open up about your failures

Does this one sound a lot like strategy #1?

They are quite different, actually. Strategy #1 shows what to do when you (or your brand) misstep and do something wrong. And strategy #3 is for those “simple” cases when you try to accomplish something… but you don’t get the results you expected.

In other words, it’s for when you fail.

Your customers aren’t hurt, and they don’t need to know what happened… so you might as well keep quiet, right?

Not at all! Telling everyone about your failure is a great way to:

• Analyze it on a much deeper level – both because you will be thinking about it more, and you’ll get outside input from people.
• Build trust with your customers and other stakeholders who have a relationship with your brand.
• Control the message, so nobody gets to define for you what exactly happened.

Who is doing it?

Right now, transparency in business is on the rise thanks to one relatively small company – Buffer. They make everything public, including revenue and salary numbers. This is a practice that has earned them both admiration and fervent criticism.

In 2016, Buffer’s commitment to transparency faced a serious test when they had to lay off 10 people (11% of the company). But they didn’t shy away from telling the worldabout it anyway.

For a moment, let’s appreciate the amount of guts it took. In the process, though, Buffer achieved something else, too. Something remarkable.

They created an amazing piece of marketing content, with 6,000+ shares and 270+ comments.

They strengthened the trust their employees and customers have in them.

And they even used Strategy #2 successfully, giving some useful lessons about avoiding the mistakes that led to this unfortunate situation!

How to use it in marketing

When done right, stories of failure can become branding and marketing gold.

When you create any type of content, you can use them to connect with your readers, viewers, and listeners more effectively:

• Giving an interview to someone…
• Sending an email to your customers…
• Writing sales copy…
• Shooting a video…
• Writing a blog post…

…you name it!

4. Share your flaws

If your brand is personality-driven, you can use this strategy to make a stronger, more authentic connection with your customers.

It’s simply this: don’t tell your customers only the stuff that makes you look good. Share your vices with them. Show them you have a flaw that makes you relatable…

…but also doesn’t make your customers think, “I don’t want to be doing business with this person.” For example:

• Maybe you love tacos so much that it’s part of your identity now.
• Perhaps, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, you love a good cigar.
• Or maybe you don’t have a morning routine (gasp!)

Bottom line is, your quirks, flaws, and little indulgences won’t make customers trust you any less – they will actually get them to like you more! And they give you a fail-proof, effortless way to inject some easy humor into everything you tell people.

Note: When we say your brand is “personality-driven,” it doesn’t have to mean “everything is about the Founder / CEO.” If you share any personal stories about your team, or anyone closely connected to the company – could be your office cat, who knows! – you can still benefit from this advice.

Who is doing it?

Aside from the three examples we already mentioned, there’s one entrepreneur who puts his flaws at the front and center of everything he does – James Altucher.

If you pick up anything James has ever written, you have an approximately 100% chance to see some self-deprecation. He has built a business around putting himself down, and using his flaws as fodder for useful lessons, gripping stories, and compelling offers.

Now, do we advocate that you do the same? Not at all. But if you want to understand how to communicate with people just as you are, warts and all, James Altucher is probably the best person to learn from.

How to use it in marketing

Sharing your flaws and imperfections adds humor and emotion to the way people see your brand. And when prospects connect with you emotionally, they buy.

You can use it everywhere your personality shines through:

• Social media posts about you or your team.
• Emails to subscribers and customers.
• Website copy, especially your About and Team pages.
• Personal interviews in print, audio, or video.

etc.

Opportunities in disguise

Almost anything negative about your brand can be used for boosting your sales and marketing. Well, outside of truly heinous things, that is. But we know that you run an ethical business, and would never do something bad or illegal intentionally.

For everything else, however, you can take steps to fix the situation, and turn it into an advantage for your business. And we hope these strategies have given you some great ideas about where to start. Enjoy!

P.S. Today, we have mostly discussed how you can turn your less-than-stellar moments into solid marketing messages. If you want to learn about using negativity to sell more of your product or service directly, please check out this post on the topic.

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF?

This is one of the first questions you are likely to be asked. Be prepared to talk about yourself, and why you're an excellent fit for the job. Try to answer questions about yourself without giving out too much, or too little, personal information. You can start by sharing some of your personal interests and experiences that don't relate directly to work, such as a favorite hobby or a brief account of where you grew up, your education, and what motivates you. You can even share some fun facts and showcase your personality to make the interview a little more interesting.

If it feels daunting to generate this information from scratch, you can rely on a simple formula to construct your answer. The ‘present-past-future’ formula is a way to share key background points while ending on a high note. Begin with a brief overview of where you are now (which could include your current job along with a reference to a personal hobby or passion), reference how you got to where you are (here you could mention education, or an important experience such as a past job, internship or volunteer experience) and then finish by touching on a goal for the future.

Bonus points if you’re able to identify how the position you’re applying for aligns with how you envision your future.

Remember to be careful about what you include in your answer – avoid potentially contentious subjects such as political or religious leanings, unless you are absolutely positive that your opinions would be well-received by your interviewer. You should also avoid talking too much about family responsibilities or hobbies that might make your interviewer wonder whether you could commit yourself 100% to the job.

No matter how you choose to respond, write out your answer in advance and then read it aloud to ensure it sounds natural. Try to keep it short and sweet, as you don’t want to come across as the type of person who endlessly drones on about themselves.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS?

When answering this question, interview coach Pamela Skillings recommends being accurate (share your true strengths, not those you think the interviewer wants to hear); relevant (choose your strengths that are most targeted to this particular position); and specific (for example, instead of “people skills,” choose “persuasive communication” or “relationship building”). Then, follow up with an example of how you've demonstrated these traits in a professional setting

Tips to answer this question:

+ Grab hold of the opportunity this question gives you. This question really lets you guide the interview where you want it to go. This your chance to relate your most impressive success story, so take advantage!
+ Highlight a strength that is crucial to the position. (As I mentioned earlier)
+ Find out from your company research and from the job description what strengths the company puts a lot of stock into.
+ Don’t make claims that you can’t illustrate with a brief example or fact.
+ Don’t be overly modest but don’t claim to be Superman or Superwoman either.
+ Don’t name a strength that is irrelevant to the job at hand.

WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?

"What are your weaknesses" is one of the most popular questions interviewers ask. It is also the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by minimizing your weakness and emphasizing your strengths. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate on professional traits: "I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently joined Toastmasters, which I find very helpful."

Tips to answer this question:

+ Show that you are aware of your weakness and what you have done to overcome it.
+ Show that you are “self-aware” and that you have the ability to take steps to improve yourself.
+ Don’t you DARE answer with the cliche “I’m a perfectionist” answer or any other such answer that the hiring manager can see right through.
+ Don’t highlight a weakness that is a core competency of the job. (Know the job description “inside and out”.)
+ Don’t dodge this question.

WHY DID YOU LEAVE (OR WHY ARE YOU LEAVING) YOUR JOB?

If an interviewer asks, "Why did you leave (or why are you leaving) your job?" and you're unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: "I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20% reduction in the workforce, which included me."

If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: "After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience."

Tips to answer this question:

+ If it was because you left voluntarily then reference a specific characteristic that the company you are interviewing for has that you are attracted to. One that your previous employer didn’t have.
+ If you were let go, be honest and explain the situation and own it. Explain what you learned from the experience, because the interviewer knows you’re human, you make mistakes, and just wants to see that you were able to do something about it
+ Words like “downsizing” and “budget cuts” and “bad economy” are good defenses if they are true and are the reasons for departure from the job.
+ Don’t bash your last company or boss or anything along those lines.
+ Don’t say, “It’s time for a career switch and I’d like to try my hand at the job you are offering” or “I’m tired of doing the same old thing.” Give a pointed, Positive reason for why you want to head off in a new direction.
+ Don’t lie if you were fired.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT?

Nothing says “hire me” better than a track record of achieving amazing results in past jobs, so don't be shy when answering this interview question! A great way to do so is by using the S-T-A-R method: Set up the situation and the task that you were required to complete to provide the interviewer with background context (e.g., “In my last job as a junior analyst, it was my role to manage the invoicing process”), but spend the bulk of your time describing what you actually did (the action) and what you achieved (the result). For example, “In one month, I streamlined the process, which saved my group 10 man-hours each month and reduced errors on invoices by 25%.”

Tips to answer this question:

+ Talk about an accomplishment that exhibits how you will be a perfect fit for the company and for the position you’re interviewing for.
+ Try and show some genuine passion when you’re talking about your accomplishment.
+ Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your accomplishment is “too small”. The fact is, relating a small accomplishment that is inline with “what the company values” can be more powerful than an unrelated accomplishment. (Remember: “It’s not about you, It’s about them.”)

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS?

If asked this question, be honest and specific about your future goals, but consider this: A hiring manager wants to know a) if you've set realistic expectations for your career, b) if you have ambition (a.k.a., this interview isn't the first time you're considering the question), and c) if the position aligns with your goals and growth. Your best bet is to think realistically about where this position could take you and answer along those lines. And if the position isn’t necessarily a one-way ticket to your aspirations? It’s OK to say that you’re not quite sure what the future holds, but that you see this experience playing an important role in helping you make that decision.

Tips to answer this question:

+ Demonstrate when you answer the question your level of commitment to the position they are interviewing you for.
+ After you have demonstrated your commitment to the role you are interviewing for, outline a realistic growth strategy that is directly tied to the role you’re in and the needs and values of the company.
+ Stress your interest in a long-term career at the company.
+ Don’t exhibit ambition to the point of seeming like this particular job is just a “brief stepping stone” for you. You need to show commitment.
+ Don’t say you want to be CEO of the company in 5 years.
+ Don’t say “Actually I want to be in YOUR seat within the next 5 years.” to the hiring manager.

WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?

Answer "Why should we hire you?" by summarizing your experiences: "With five years' experience working in the financial industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I'm confident I would be a great addition to your team."

Tips to answer this question:

+ Show the hiring manager that you are uniquely suited to filling this position. Be the candidate that solves their “problems“.
+ Show you know some significant details about the company and their general practices because you have researched the firm and are prepared.
+ Tell a “success story” that highlights how you have the ‘qualities’ needed to fill their specific needs.
+ Don’t get discouraged if the hiring manager mentions that “they have lots of very well qualified candidates…” before they lead into this question. (It’s a common “lead in”)
+ Don’t be too modest. This is your chance to shine. Make it count.
+ On the flip side don’t go too overboard and sound too arrogant.
+ Don’t be “wishy-washy” or too general with your answer.
+ Don’t answer with “why” you want the job. Answer with “why you are the perfect fit” for the job.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COMPANY?

Any candidate can read and regurgitate the company’s “About” page. So, when interviewers ask this, they aren't necessarily trying to gauge whether you understand the mission—they want to know whether you care about it. Start with one line that shows you understand the company's goals, using a couple key words and phrases from the website, but then go on to make it personal. Say, “I’m personally drawn to this mission because…” or “I really believe in this approach because…” and share a personal example or two.

9. What are your salary requirements?

The #1 rule of answering this question is doing your research on what you should be paid by using sites like Payscale and Glassdoor. You’ll likely come up with a range, and we recommend stating the highest number in that range that applies, based on your experience, education, and skills. Then, make sure the hiring manager knows that you're flexible. You're communicating that you know your skills are valuable, but that you want the job and are willing to negotiate.

HAVE YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS?

At the end of the interview, it is likely that you will be given the chance to put your own questions to the interviewer.

+ Keep them brief: there may be other interviewees waiting.
+ Ask about the work itself, training and career development: not about holidays, pensions, and season ticket loans!
+ Prepare some questions in advance: it is OK to write these down and to refer to your notes to remind yourself of what you wanted to ask.

It often happens that, during the interview, all the points that you had noted down to ask about will be covered before you get to this stage. In this situation, you can respond as follows:
Interviewer: Well, that seems to have covered everything: is there anything you would like to ask me?
Interviewee: Thank you: I'd made a note to ask about your appraisal system and the study arrangements for professional exams, but we went over those earlier and I really feel you've covered everything that I need to know at this moment.

You can also use this opportunity to tell the interviewer anything about yourself that they have not raised during the interview but which you feel is important to your application:
Don't feel you have to wait until this point to ask questions - if the chance to ask a question seems to arise naturally in the course of the interview, take it! Remember that a traditional interview is a conversation - with a purpose.

TEAMWORK INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Now onto the more generic skills, such as your ability to work in a team. No matter how big or small the team is, the hiring manager will want to know that you can develop a strong working relationship with them, as this is essential for productivity and achieving company goals. You may be asked something like the below in order to test if you are a strong team player:

Question: Give an example of team leading in past employment

Answer: You should summarise the task and nature of the group but focus primarily upon your role as team leader. List the personal qualities you possess which made you ideal for leading this team and how you achieved success. Conclude your answer by giving examples of the lessons you learnt while leading this team.

COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Your ability to communicate effectively and influence others to act in support of your own and team goals will be examined. An ability to adapt your communication methods depending on situations and individuals is important here.

Question: Provide an example of how you explained a technical concept to a client or co-worker lacking your technical expertise.

How to Answer: Competency based interview questions are meant to determine how well you communicate with others, including your ability to simplify difficult concept. The customer service question about negative feedback is meant to determine whether or not you’re capable of dealing with customer comments that aren’t all that positive in a courteous, constructive manner. With a few of your examples, briefly discuss what you learned from those interactions.

DECISION MAKING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Decision making is a skill that requires the ability to process information and filter this information to ensure you produce a sound and valid decision. You should be able to provide examples of situations where this skill has been tested. Use examples where an obvious answer is not immediately apparent.

Question: Can you tell me about a time when you consulted others when making important project decisions?

How to Answer: You’ll notice that interviewers tend to want specific examples to illustrate your abilities. It’s not unusual for questions to be fairly complex in nature, often involving multiple, related parts. Don’t get overwhelmed. Instead, answer questions one point at at time by providing relevant, easy to digest examples. If you forget the rest of the question, politely ask the interviewer to repeat it.

DRIVE FOR RESULTS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

This competency assesses your personal motivation and how you approach challenges.

Question: What is your biggest achievement?

Answer: Ideally, use a work-related example to illustrate your key career achievement. Highlight exactly why you consider it important, with details of the role you played. If your biggest achievement in life is related to your personal life, use commercial references such as budget slashing, determination, commitment and team work to communicate all the associated positive aspects.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZAING INTERVIEW QUESTION:

Auestion: Give me an example of a time when you had to plan a project or a large piece of work.

Tips for Successful Answers:

+ Demonstrate how you have worked in a structured and methodical way.
+ Show real detail about the steps you have taken to plan.
+ Explain how you have amended or flexed the original plans you’d made.
+ Talk about how you built pre-emptive solutions to potential problems

CUSTOMER FOCUS INTERVIEW QUESTION:

Your ability to understand and believe in the importance of customer focus will be tested here. You must display a competency for understanding the difference between internal and external customers.

Question: What about important clients, or complex or sensitive customer relationships?

Answer: If you can show that through your customer service orientation you saved the company from losing something of value (a big client, $X amount of revenue, 20 man hours a week) then you will really demonstrate your customer focus. Or did you save the company a political, organizational, or image problem? Write it out. What was the situation? What action did you take? How did you communicate to your teammates and how did you communicate with the customer? What was the result? … I hope this gets you thinking.

LEADERSHIP INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Leadership is a competency employers look for in candidates who are applying for jobs that require them to lead, motivate and/or develop other people, usually team leader and management positions

Question: Describe a time you took a leadership position when you did not have the title of a leader.

Answer: In this question, take an example from a situation where you were in a group and took responsibility to delegate to achieve goals. Show how you gained from the other members to follow your lead and the result of your leadership.

For instance, in college, we were put into groups of four to complete a marketing project. We had to prepare a 15-page paper and 10-minute presentation on a new product. We want to introduce that outside the U.S. I took the initiative among the group to lead a discussion on how we should split up the work when we meet throughout the semester and deadlines for each person’s part of the work. Because I was the one to take the lead the discussion and had a plan in mind, I gained the buy in of the other members quickly. I took everyone’s e-mail address and created a group email to help us all keep track of our progress and so we could help each other outside of class and our meetings. By the end of the semester, my group achieved a 95% on our project.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Conflict resolution skills and the ability to disagree with others professionally and politely are necessary for successful contribution in organizations. If every employee employer hire is willing to engage in conflict resolution, more new ideas and better approaches to solving problems will take place in your organization.

Question: Give an example of a time you handled conflict in the workplace

Answer: Your interviewer will assess your adaptability and gauge the constructiveness of your approach towards conflict, tension and differences of opinion. Your example(s) should highlight the importance of your role in resolving these issues.

CREATIVE SKILLS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Question: Give me an example of your creativity?

Answer sample:

One of my key creative accomplishments occurred in my current job, when I had to increase market share for a new product without increasing our existing marketing budget. I kicked off with some internal brainstorming on how to maximize the use of our resources and be more creative in the way we market. I worked with our two interns, both of whom were creative writing majors, on creating a blog for our website, plus Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages for the company’s new product. I tasked the interns with managing the pages, and the three of us came up with relevant content for each social page. The ultimate aim was to create a community of fans and buzz around the new product.

Through product teasers on Twitter, the timely answering of questions on Facebook, and brief video tutorials on Instagram, we grew a fan base of 2,500 people in just three months. When the product was released, first day sales exceeded all expectations, and sales continued on a steady incline for the rest of the year. A lot of the success was attributed to the online fan base we developed, where positive word-of-mouth spurred an influx of customers to purchase the product through the trackable online sales page we created in-house with our design and dev teams.

TIME MANAGEMENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

Question: Explain a time when you were not able to meet a deadline?

Answer: Use an example were you where not able to meet a deadline due to outside factors. For instance, there was a big project that my team was working on, and I had split up the work among some members and myself. During that time, one member of the team had to leave due to their spouse getting a position in another city. He left at a critical time, and I had to re-assign his duties to someone else. I make the new person work to speed with the progression of the project and due to this, was not able to complete it on time. We were still able to complete the project a few days after the deadline even with the change in the team member.

PROBLEM SOLVING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

The old adage goes that managers want people who come to them with solutions, not problems, and for me, I couldn’t agree more. The employees who can rise to a challenge and think of innovative ways to solve a problem are the ones who go on to achieve great things both for themselves and the business. Taking this into account, your manager may ask something like:

Question: Give an example of a challenge you faced in the workplace, and how you overcame it

Answer: If you are entering the workplace direct from school, college or university, this question will be geared towards your academic experiences.

Provide a great example of a task that involved using as many skills and abilities as possible. An ideal answer to this question enables you to demonstrate your ability to work in a team, display leadership skills and handle pressure.

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