Loki’s Trickery and B2B Marketing

For those who still haven’t watched Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World, it’s still not much of a spoiler to know that Loki and Thor would be working together in this one. It’s all over the trailers.

Think carefully though. Why would the honorable God of Thunder need the assistance of Marvel’s most deceptive supervillain? Well, perhaps it’s because there’s a lot of stigma associated with trickery and illusion (not starting with other villains much like Loki).

And frankly, marketing gets slapped with the same negative connotations. Commercials, advertisements, and even contests are all viewed with suspicion by more sales-resistant buyers.

It’s not just in the B2C end either. B2B marketers can be accused of being just as sneaky and manipulative, employing many tricks to bypass faithful gatekeepers and shocking them once they learn you’ve already been making a sale behind their back.

There are actually several problems with this picture:

There’s a difference between honorable and stubborn

While you are always called to treat gatekeepers with respect, they don’t always represent the prospects themselves. Some can just be this stubborn wall that closes off opportunities alongside problems.

You need to get past these walls, even if it means sending an email to a decision maker or engaging them on social media without a gatekeeper knowing.

Deception can be your only key to a door with a hard lock

If you think of a prospect as a door, no amount forced entry will get you anywhere. When you couple today’s spam filter technology with good practice, typical email blasting and dialing won’t do you any good.

Thus, sometimes you have to fool the lock to think you’re above the rest. Sometimes you have to send an email that’s worded a little differently just to convince filter and reader alike.

A greater goal needs to be achieved

A whole lot must’ve been at stake for Thor to seek Loki’s help. It’s the same here. It’s not just that there really is no other way. It’s the fact that there is a great need for you to really reach your prospect. You need sales. You need ROI. You need something to show up for all your efforts.

If it looks like the consequences of a little trickery is less worse than missing out on the goal, do not hesitate! Sneak and slither away into your prospect’s email or gain their trust through the back door.

Going the sneaky route isn’t always a bad idea nor is it something only the bad guys can do. Don’t charge against the wall when you’ll have less to gain that way.