Damaging admission is when you openly acknowledge a product's flaw to build trust. Viagra's warning about four-hour erections signaled effectiveness and helped sales jump from $400 million to $1.8 billion in quarters. Admitting the downside makes your positive claims believable.
This simple marketing tactic that Viagra implemented was pure genius. Listen, we've all seen the commercials. Maybe some of us have even used the products, but I guarantee that few of you caught the simple marketing tactic that Viagra used to grow from $400 million in sales to $1.8 billion in sales in a matter of a few quarters. And that is something that is called damaging admission. Here's how it works. Damaging admission is a marketing tactic that companies will use by actually acknowledging negative side effects of a product or service. So when Viagra said that, hey, if you have an erection that lasts longer than 4 hours, please consult a medical professional. Technically, that could be a negative outcome. But what it actually did was plant the seed that the positive was, "Oh my gosh, this product actually works, and maybe it works too well." In a similar way, you could use the same tactic of damaging admission to acknowledge the things that you might not be great at. And in doing so, when you're truthful about your weakness and shortcomings, when you say that you excel at something as a person, a business, product, or service, you become instantly more believable and more credible. I dare you to try this in your next sales pitch or your next ad and see how hard the results go. If your erection lasts longer than 4 hours, consult a doctor. That line goes hard. It wasn't a warning, it was marketing genius. By calling out the downside, they make the upside undeniable. They weren't saying, "This might be dangerous." They were saying, "This stuff works too well." That's what's called damaging admission. You admit a flaw or a risk, and in doing so, you build trust. Because no one believes the guy who's saying, "Everything's perfect." But the one who says, "We're not for everyone, but if you're X, Y, or Z, there's nothing better." That guy, you listen to him. You believe him. You buy. Try it in your next pitch. Say the thing you're afraid to say, and then watch how fast it builds credibility. Follow and comment "honest," and I'll send you some examples of damaging admissions that work better than fake perfection. Only for followers.
