a single source, nothing corroborates it

Stop asking buyers to protect your trade

Buy from a local shop, hire a professional, do not send the work abroad: every one of those answers the seller's problem, and customers who happily drive across town for more choice have already voted on it. When a cheap self-serve option turns up, drop the defence of the craft and show this particular buyer, with evidence, what the extra money gets them.

The method

1. 01

   When a cheap self-serve substitute appears, don't defend your industry - show the customer, with data, what they specifically gain by paying you more.

2. 02

   Slogans that ask buyers to protect your livelihood - shop local, hire a real designer, don't send work overseas - fail because they answer the seller's problem rather than the buyer's.

3. 03

   Don't build your positioning on your own convictions - a values-led pitch loses to whatever is already working for the customer.

What it returned

• 35

  The author's skate and snowboard shop was built around shopping locally, while customers happily drove 35 minutes to the city on a Saturday for a bigger selection, or bought the same goods cheaper online.

• Designers attacked Squarespace's logo tool on professional grounds; Justin's suggested counter is evidence about brand perception, employee pride and an identity that lasts decades.

Sources

• Can you change customer behavior?Justin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Can you change customer behavior? · undated
• Feeling threatenedJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Feeling threatened · undated