No-one buys quality. No-one buys clarity.


I don’t give a tin shit about quality.

I care about it lasting long enough to become an heirloom.

I care about not having to buy a new pair in three months.

I care about looking good in front of the other baby shower attendees.

I care about saving money.

I care about not looking shabby.

I care about how it feels on my bare skin.

I care about avoiding my sister’s disapproval.

I care about what people like me would buy.

I care about it not breaking down at the worst moment.

I care about the impression I make.

I care about feeling like I make good buying decisions.

I care about how it smells.

I care about standing out.

I care about NOT standing out.

I care about it matching my other pieces.

I care about how it looks in direct sunlight.

I don’t give a flying fuck about clarity, either.

I care about the time I’m wasting.

I care about looking like a doofus.

I care about how my sleep is getting destroyed.

I care about not dicking around on Facebook for three hours.

I care about missed opportunities.

I care about playing a much bigger game.

I care about breaking old patterns.

I care about impressing my friends.

I care about pushing that frakking envelope.

I care about doing great work.

I care about being proud of myself.

I care about feeling confident.

I care about building momentum.

I care about dumping the motherfucker, already.

I care about being frustrated with myself.

I care about being frustrated with others, and not knowing why.

I care about snapping at my friend.

I care about breaking the logjam in my head.

I care about looking impressive.

Stop selling me on quality and clarity.

Or hand-made, limited-edition, professional, ground-breaking or unique. (Or ten thousand other shorthand terms.)

Tell me why those things matter. To me. Right now.

Don’t say, “It’s a high-quality print.” Tell me, “This will look as good at your newborn’s 21st birthday as it does now. And his retirement party.”

Don’t say, “Together we’ll uncover clarity about your relationship.” Tell me, “Stop teetering on the edge of getting fired because you’re so distracted by your boyfriend’s cheating.”

Of course, that’s what you’re trying to say. You’re the expert, to you it’s obvious why quality is better, what clarity can enable, or why the professional version is superior.

But to me, they aren’t the value. They’re the tool to get the thing I really want.

Respect that, and my wallet is yours.

If you need help uncovering the value of your amazing thing that you can’t explain better than “… it’s quality!”, then Goddamn Radiant and I are here to help.

Creative Commons License photo credit:


31 Comments - What do YOU think?
  • http://www.vintagereflections.co.nz Reatha Kenny

    God I love your articles! The inspire me to say out loud FUuurcK thats exactly it. I love that your articles make me swear you have a knack. Thanks for this it’s exactly what I needed to hear today!

  • http://www.everydaybright.com Jen Gresham

    I love you so very much.  You’re an inspiration, Catherine Caine.  I do hope you’re going to BlogWorld LA.  I very much want to have another cup of tea with you and hug you for posts like these.

  • http://www.wicked-whimsy.com Michelle

    I think I need to print this out & hang it by my desk, right next to the last page from DIY Magnificence ;)  

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    I aim to serve. And make people cuss. :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Can we have a delightful Scandanavian woman there again? :)

    Yep, I’m planning for BWE LA. And be warned, I shall be hugging you back.

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Hoorah! So what are you selling instead?

  • kimberely

    Where have you BEEN my whole bloggin’ life?! A mouth like a sailor and a mind like a marketing samurai (’cause samurai = honor, discipline, FOCUS). :swoon:

    You make me certain that there really is a place for me, my work, my voice. I’m going to schedule for the free check in (?! wonders never cease! Feel like I won the lottery!) , but I have to take a few deep breathes and get over my awe + joy first.

    This post here just NAILED some niggling issues bothering me in my copy. Thank you. 

  • http://www.wicked-whimsy.com Michelle

    I’m selling being in control of your business & your ability to produce astounding work, along with less frustrated head-banging (on a wall, not like to Metallica). Is that better? :)  

  • http://www.faenathara.com Nathara

    Wow, I feel like that was aimed right at me! I definitely have some re-writing to do!

  • Dawn

    Yes, dammit … new tag line hitting my Etsy shop, and new approach to why my dolls rock out loud and should be in your kid’s pram!!!  Catherine … you are like a cool fairy godmother who smacks me over the head with her wand and tells me to stop whining and start doing because I rock at what I do!  Thanks for that :D

  • Shanna Mann

    Yay! Your site is working again… That’s good, because, like Michelle, I’m printing this one out to hang on my wall

  • http://www.thats2cute.com.au Anita

    Now I’m off to re write 549 descriptions:)

  • Anonymous

    Hellz to the yeah!  All the buzzword crap gets on my nerves something fierce.  Fortunately, that annoyance is making me hyper-freaked-out about writing my own copy, so hopefully I’ll churn out something worthwhile instead.

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    You don’t need me to know that it is. :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Well THANK you gorgeous. :)

    I can’r wait for our free session now, this is going to be EPIC.

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Congrats on being wise enough to make the changes. :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    You’re very welcome! *fairy dust*

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    That’s amazing. Thank you, lovely. :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Woooot!

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    It’s never a buzzword in ou own head – WE know why quality rocks on toast. But you said it right – it doesn’t reach our peeps the way we’d want it to.

  • Sarah Bray

    Can I sing to you, Catherine? Because this post makes me feel like singing. 

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Sing away, my love. :)

  • Stephanie Stroter

    Oh this is funny…

    Before coming to your blog, I had just finished re-posting one of my online ads, for my services, that include almost all the words …

    Handmade
    Professional
    Limited edition…

    LOL!!!

    I am thinking that those words provide comfort to a potential customer that doesn’t know me from Adam, save what they read in my ad and my customer testimonials.

    Yes, they want what I offer, to be professionally made.  If I were a customer, that would be enough FOR ME.  I am not “touchy feely” and when I shop, I am a get-what-I-need-and-leave-the-store type, so I have been taking an analytical approach to marketing my services, because that makes sense TO ME.  :-)

    Are you sensing that I am beginning to see where my point of view is skewed in a direction that is not maximizing my marketing opportunities? HAHHA!!

    Based on what you said in this post, I am going to experiment and re-write the ad from the viewpoint of addressing what the customer really
    “wants”(the unspoken story in their heads) and see what happens in the coming weeks.

    Thank you for this inspiring and challenging post!!

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Stephanie, I admire you so much for digging in to what I write and not just nodding and saying, “Hmm. Good point.”

    Enjoy the experiments, and hopefully the results! :)

  • https://cashandjoy.com/what-are-you-really-selling/ What are you REALLY selling? | Cash and Joy

    [...] were lots of people who had bing! moments after reading the article on why no-one buys quality or clarity. Since then, I’ve had a number of terribly fabulous conversations with people where [...]

  • Leigh

    Wow. head is spinning. wheels are turning. my business is predicated on the fact that it’s handmade and limited edition. but now… crap… more work to be done on why that matters and what that means. 

    have i told you lately that you’re magnificent? cause you are.

  • Leigh

    Wow. head is spinning. wheels are turning. my business is predicated on the fact that it’s handmade and limited edition. but now… crap… more work to be done on why that matters and what that means. 

    have i told you lately that you’re magnificent? cause you are.

  • Stephanie Stroter

    Leigh, mine too…which is why this post was so funny because everything I say in my advertisements is what our dear miss Catherine says NOT to do…LOL!!

    I, too, am having to rethink and I have found it VERY helpful to think back on what my customers say while interacting with me and my goodies. 

  • http://www.imagemaven.com Marlene Hielema

    Now that’s tellin’ it like it is! You made me sit up straight in my chair with this post. Thanks for that!

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    You’re welcome, lovely. :)

  • https://CashAndJoy.com Catherine Caine

    Hooray for you both!