The ‘maybe later’ mistake brands keep making
“Maybe later” is an insult to your customers.
When you send them a notification telling them to add their contacts to your app, for instance, the choices should not be “yes” or “maybe later.”
If you are asking them to fill out their name and work e-mail to download a white paper, “maybe later” should not be the drop-down item that lets them opt out of receiving endless e-mail marketing campaigns.
You can almost feel the psychological manipulation at work here — the implication is that, if a company uses “maybe later” you’ll keep your mind open to being asked again.
And again.
And again.
Companies never provide anything to turn those “maybe laters” into a “Okay, this time it’s a yes.”
It’s a passive (perhaps even passive-aggressive) strategy that’s not unlike the Peanuts comic strips, where Charlie Brown (representing a brand) continues to believe Lucy (representing a customer) won’t keep taking the football away when he tries to kick it.
Werner Erhard once wrote insanity can be defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
“Maybe later” may not be insanity (companies know what they’re doing) but it’s not providing a good customer experience.
Be careful how many times you suggest “maybe later” to your customers. They walk away for good. Perhaps not right away. But maybe later.
