the strength of straight talk

Apparently this email above from a Mockuuups founder struck a chord with their email list. It resonated with me. The email put Mockuuups in a certain place in my mind: they pretty much own their category in my head now.

Now, I spend my days thinking of ways to appeal to customers, so I think of myself as kind of immune to this stuff. I’m that marketing guy who thinks “I see what you’re trying to do here and I ain’t buying!” I’m full of crap. This email worked.

But why? Some ideas…

• The subject line combo of “What’s new” and “We failed you” is striking. I had to learn how they failed to meet expectations I didn’t know I had.

• It’s not overly personalized. It starts with “Hi Peter” and the personalization stops there. Some emails get creepy detailed. This one feels like it’s from a professional acquaintance.

• Mockuuups made product bets that didn’t work. We can see how thoughtful they’re being, which makes me feel comfortable that they’re building something that will last and be useful. It’s not often we get to see what it’s like to make small bets.

And it’s just honest. That’s endearing.

I’ve long been skeptical of the idea that people buy “The Why” behind a product. Still am. But I do think people care about how a product is made.

If we can see deliberate care being used in how a company communicates and builds its product, I think that can only win over customers.

There’s strength in straight talk.

Peter

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PS: See the original email here