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Article Title:
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Lessons from Authentic Marketing
Article Description:
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I sent out a spirited attempt to fill my latest class by opening
it up for haggling. My biggest fear was someone saying: "I guess
you aren't such a great marketer if you can't do it for
yourself. Ha!" I want to explain my experiences here, because
this is of prime importance in your marketing.
Additional Article Information:
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1030 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2006-10-04 10:00:00
Written By: Mark Silver
Copyright: 2006
Contact Email: mailto:mail2@heartofbusine
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Lessons from Authentic Marketing
Copyright (c) 2006 Mark Silver
Heart Of Business
http://www.heartofb
I'll be honest with you from the get-go: I cancelled the Focus
on Marketing class. Although some of you stepped forward to take
me up on the haggling, the class wasn't full, and it didn't
feel right to me. I want to explain my experiences here, because
this is of prime importance in your marketing: the willingness to
try something, to face your fears, and to receive unexpected
results. The last ezine I sent out was a spirited attempt to fill
my latest class, by opening it up for haggling. I had a lot of
fear about sending it out, but my heart just kept saying "send
it." And, I'm glad I did. I received more emails in response to
this one, than any other in the last six months- comments like:
"Brilliant!" "This made me laugh- thank you!" "How fun!"
I received unexpected bonuses- new clients, offers from people
who want to refer their clients to me, and other things that came
in. I also had some great, enriching interactions with people
when I called to tell them I was canceling the class. But the
best gift was the email I received that had me face my biggest
fear. My biggest fear was that I would have to face someone
saying to me: "Well, you can't fill a -marketing- class- I
guess you aren't such a great marketer if you can't do it for
yourself. Ha!"
Crushing. I only received one email like that (minus the Ha!),
and my first reactions were to go into self-doubt and fear. But,
using the Remembrance I was able to sink more deeply into my
heart and remember (!) a few things:
Seven out of the last nine of my classes have sold out. I
consistently remain full or near-capacity with individual
clients. My business has grown by at least 15% every year, and
this past year it's nearly doubled - and continues to grow.
The truth helped me feel better. But, even though remembering
felt helpful, it still felt like I was fighting with the person
who wrote me- "See, I AM a good marketing guy, so there..."
Yuck.
As I took a few more minutes with my heart, I realized a few
things: a) I was doing fine, b) my business was doing fine, c)
there is a helpful message for me even in the critical email.
What was it?
A few more minutes provided me with the answer: humility.
My last ezine article was on The Sacred Sale, and how humility
and vulnerability are key elements in business. I could see in
myself where I was losing some of my humility. And, with that, I
came back into alignment with the three most important outcomes
for marketing from the heart:
1. That it help your business develop organically, without
pushing the river, at a rate that creates a sense of health,
balance, and rightness. This can be quick, but it must be
organic.
2. That it create authentic, vulnerable relationships between you
and your prospects. Not only do these types of relationships
engender trust, which is the most important element of any sale,
but it helps to bring more love and connection into the world.
Yes, I said "Love." Isn't love the most important thing in
your life?
3. That it provides some benefit to your prospects, whether or
not they ever buy from you. This can be a practical benefit, such
as "how to's," or it can be a necessary intangible, such as
helping someone to smile, or inspiring someone to be more
authentic during their day.
If my marketing accomplishes this, then I'm happy, whether or or
not my classes sell out.
Especially on the internet, there are a lot of people trying to
convince you that all you need to do is this or that and you can
make untold millions. As tempting as these messages can be, I
want to support your desire for simple, organic growth in your
business, and marketing that supports that growth, and your
heart. It's much more sustainable.
Being vulnerable in your marketing means taking risks. But how
much is too much?
Keys to "Lessons from Authentic Marketing."
* The usual extreme we go to is to not reveal anything. Yet
risking yourself and admitting to mistakes creates real trust and
connection with your prospects. My Sufi teachings say that when
you teach, "What the student wants is your Divinity, but what
enables the student to take it is your humanity."
Without showing your humanity, the prospect can become
discouraged, feeling like they can never bridge between where
they are to where you are. It's a lose-lose situation, and a
marketing disaster!
* Yeah, but how much is too much? The other extreme is to
"spew" all over people, and this can be done by bringing too
much fear out, and it can also be done by bringing too much
enthusiasm out. How much is too much fear or enthusiasm?
The real test is: is it keeping you from seeing and connecting
with your prospect? Even when being vulnerable, the point of
being vulnerable is to connect with the other person. If, in
being enthusiastic or showing human emotions, you've lost sight
of the person you are talking to, or writing for, you've crossed
a line. Not a line of showing too much, but the line of putting
the focus on you.
If you can see them clearly, and see how whatever vulnerability
you are showing is connecting with them, you are doing fine. If
you find the spotlight is mostly on you, then you want to recheck
it.
* Here's the way I do it: I write out want I want to say. And
then I go through the whole article, in addition to the editing,
and check each sentence- how could this sentence help the reader,
or is just for me? If it's helpful, and passes my other editing,
it stays. If it's just for me, I keep it just for me... and you
don't see it.
I challenge you to take the next step in being vulnerable with
your prospects this month.
My very best to you and your business,
Mark Silver
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Mark Silver is the author of Unveiling the Heart of Your
Business: How Money, Marketing and Sales can Deepen Your
Heart, Heal the World, and Still Add to Your Bottom Line.
He has helped hundreds of small business owners around
the globe succeed in business without losing their
hearts. Get three free chapters of the book online:
http://www.heartofb
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