Trust-building secret of an unemployed bald guy

Last week I linked to this 2 minute video by a company called Chip Drop.

(My favorite part was the deadpan, “That sounds… inconvenient.”)

This video employs a powerful trust-building technique.

Reader Stuart replied:

They’re showing all their faults right away. “Hi I’m George. I’m balding, I’m unemployed, and I live with my parents.”

That’s exactly right.

The benefits in this case are pretty obvious—you get free mulch.

“Free” anything sounds like a bit of a scam.

By showing all the downsides of Chip Drop, it makes the free mulch offer seem a lot less scammy and more believable.

In copywriting the term for this is the “damaging admission.”

It’s natural when trying to close the deal with a potential client to want to steer away from admitting any faults or flaws in what you’re proposing.

No offer is ever perfect though, and everyone knows that.

By calling out the elephant in the room, you can build a lot of trust—and paradoxically, improve your chances of working with the client.

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