Roast me.

The alternative title to this post could be “How to Get Free Consulting.”

Online it seems there are many forums where people create stuff and then say “Roast me.” It seems that the human psyche is filled with wanting to take others “down a peg.” However, for those with thicker skin, it gives good feedback. People may point out things about yourself or your work you never considered, though they may do so in a fashion more vulgar than asking someone politely.

Recently, a person had created a website for their marketing services, and said “Roast my website.” While I didn’t resort to any personal attacks, I certainly gave feedback, though that’s something I always do. The more amazing thing to me was that this post had about 5 times the normal amount of comments as someone else asking for advice. The wording obviously excited people into sharing their insight, and as a result this person received the equivalent of free consulting.

Why did this “Roast me” call to action work so well?

Anger, shame and insecurity are things that often tend to call us to action. “Roast me” tends to activate all of those, whether it’s to perform them to the person requesting them, or to see what others have mentioned. This combination activates nearly everyone who sees it with some form of energy.

There are many ways to activate people, this one works for those seeking help, but be warned, it does fetch some brutal responses, only use if you can withstand the scrutiny.