Have you ever noticed how it seems like the volume of commercials on TV seems louder than the regular content? 

It's hard to miss; it's even a societal joke that there's a special job for someone at radio and TV stations to "turn up the volume when the commercial breaks begin."

Same often seems true with "success" seminars and infomercials. The presenter gets up there and blasts away at the audience with a near-shouting tone of voice for 30 minutes.

Reminds me a bit of the old joke/truism of the British Empire in Colonial days, with colonists trying to communicate with locals who knew no English: "If they don't seem to understand, just repeat it, MORE LOUDLY!"

But it's WORKING! (Isn't it...?)

The default assumption — and what I sometimes hear from people who claim to "know" about marketing — is that it must be working, or they wouldn't be doing it.

I'm not so sure about that... when someone starts SHOUTING at me because...

IT'S TRUCK MONTH AT BUBBA BLOOPENSTEIN CHEVY! COME ON DOWN TODAY FOR THE BEST DEAL EVER ON A NEW CHEVY!!!!

... I'm pretty much going to reach for the "mute" button 100% of the time. I'm also going to file away "Bubba Bloopenstein" in my "avoid at all costs" file.

Marketers tell me that the shouting "conveys excitement."

That guy SHOUTING at you for 120 seconds about the wonders of Oxy-Clean, he's trying to make you excited about the product.

The only thing I can think of is my mother making a sharp hissing sound at me and saying "Indoor voice!"

The Shouting Seminar Dudes

What brought all this to mind was yet another "talking head" (evidently of some degree of fame if you're into "success") with some kind of "system" setting up shop on Steemit... doing exactly what many of us are trying to contain and reduce here: more automation and bots.

I came across his promo video this morning and sat through a whole 15 seconds of it before deciding I'd had enough of yet another screaming jack-in-the-box bouncing around on my screen.

That's the other thing: These folks seem unable to talk without bouncing around and flailing their arms like a geeky sugar-bombed teenager with ADHD.

Have you ever tried a simple conversational voice?

Infomercials, seminars that end up in some pitch for a "system" or "scheme," timeshare sales people — they all seem cut from the same cloth.

"The Louder it is, the Less we Have!"

From years of observing these practices in action, it always strikes me there's an inverse correlation between how LOUD someone is promoting their gig and the substantive veracity of their claims.

Almost like someone decided "If we SHOUT loud enough, people won't notice we actually are selling thin AIR!"

Or something dodgy.

Or overpriced timeshares that should never have existed.

This particular approach seems particularly popular with people selling "income opportunities" and "self-improvement success seminars."

And, of course, they bear NO questioning of their methodologies... I have actually been present at some where legitimate (but "incisive") questioners were asked to leave the room... or were escorted out.

Evidently, the veracity of the "program" depends on nobody understanding the program...

Yeah, but you REMEMBER, Right?

Someone once countered my observations about "shouting salesmen" with the assertion: "Yeah, but you REMEMBER them, right?"

We'd been talking about car dealerships and I'd remarked on the obnoxious ads by a particular Ford dealership in a nearby community who always finished their TV ads with the same smarmy tagline.

Absolutely right. I "remember" them. But I remember them as a place I want to avoid, not a place I want to patronize. So what have you really succeeded in doing?

Just because someone (or something)  is "memorable," that doesn't translate into a positive outcome...

"Well, You're Just not the Demographic..."

And that's ultimately where these discussions tend to end with me.

But what IS the demographic?

Impulsive and easily swayed by emotion rather than reason? "Shoot first and ask questions later" types? People whose decisions are mostly ego-based? Gullible people? Low education/intelligence people with a greed streak?

I just scratch my head, do about a 15-second micro analysis inside and generally conclude "Why the frak would ANYone think this is a good idea?" 

But such is life.

On the whole, I'm pretty content to "not be the demographic!"

How about YOU? Do commercials and promotions seem LOUD to you? Does that put you off, or does it get your attention? Have you ever bought into a telemarketing seminar "program?" If yes, how did that work out for you? Who do YOU think the target audience is for LOUD presentations? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!

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(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 180530 11:37 PDT