Here’s my problem with orange pilling. I start strongly with the history of money. Move forward solidly into fractional reserve banking. I start getting antsy as I hit the 1971 decoupling from the gold standard. And I’m in full-blown, mouth-frothing meltdown by the time I get to inflation as theft from the working and middle classes…..their wages being siphoned off to the elites…who know damn well what they’re doing….it’s a deliberate ploy….it flies beneath the radar….people blame corporate price gouging….exactly as the politicians want you to….while playing you like a fiddle…..and deflecting from their evil intentions and dastardly deeds. Oh. And Bitcoin fixes this.
Perhaps you can tell me where I’m going wrong.
Not everyone is as disastrous as me but many of us have failed at orange pilling our family and friends at best. Turned people off with our religious zeal at worst.
Which is a problem. Because we’re the sales and marketing arm of Bitcoin. I need to do better. And collectively we could all probably do better. Bitcoin will be fine without us. Bitcoin speaks for itself. But to the degree that education helps adoption, it’s worth consciously upskilling.
Coming from a background, as I do, of 3 decades in business communications training, I should be more aware. And when I do consciously adopt the proven tools of sales professionals, I am in fact, more clear, calm and persuasive.
So let me make three suggestions to help us out along the way:
The Hippocratic Oath: “I Will Do No Harm”
This one’s simple. If we’re not in the right head-space, if we’re on a hair-trigger that day, if we think we’re going to do more harm than good, let’s keep our mouths shut and live to pill another day.
KYC: Know Your Customer
Every communications skills training starts the same way. Whether it’s sales skills, negotiation skills, presentations, influencing or writing, the planning process always starts with knowing your customer/audience/listener/reader. The same applies to backyard orange pilling efforts.
We need to meet them where they’re at. And we can’t meet them where they’re at unless we find out where they are in their lives right now.
Ask questions. Who are they? What do they care about? What are their drivers, hopes, dreams and fears? What’s important to them? And what do they hope for their future, their children’s future, the planet’s future and humanity’s?
Listen to their words. Listen to their tone. Watch their body language. Where’s the emotion and emphasis? Do you have stuff in common? Do you care about similar things? Can you give nods or grunts of affirmation and empathy as you listen?
Choose Your Words: Speak Their Language
People like and trust people who are like them. And the way to help people feel comfortable is to gently mirror, without mimicking, their language, body language and life circumstances.
When it’s time to talk, let’s try to use examples that they can relate to. If they’ve mentioned the environment or retirement or kids, let’s mention flare gas, store of value and a future without hamster wheels. If they’ve used a phrase like “what really pisses me off is…” then play it back “yeah I’m also really pissed off about ….”, “you have every right to be pissed off about…” And let’s see if we can create some empathy too. “I know right? It’s so frustrating”. “I totally get it. I also get worried about….”
It’s easier said than done when you have a different political point of view to them but if we can demonstrate some trust and care, even if they don’t buy into Bitcoin’s value proposition right now, they’ll have a more open mind and be more warmed up to the idea the next time they interact with it.
In sales it can often take 8 touch-points before the other person starts to recognise your logo, your business and your offering. It might take 8-touch points for the person you’re orange pilling to start to understand Bitcoin or open up to it in some way. Let’s at least make sure our interaction with them is a positive one that leaves them more open than closed to the next touch point.
So a lot of listening and a bit of tailored talking is the way to go.
If however, none of that rings true or seems possible to do, just set them up with a Bitcoin wallet and send them some sats. Perhaps NGU speaks louder than words.
