There is an insidious lie about marketing that needs to die right now – that marketing is inherently invasive and sleazy. Many consumers believe it, recoiling in disgust, and more frighteningly, many marketers act like they believe it too. The problem is one of perception. We speak about “marketing promotions” and as such, we confuse the true purpose of marketing, which is attraction, with the purpose of sales, which is promotion.
In the traditions of 12 Step Recovery, they speak of being a “program of attraction, rather than of promotion.” So, when the larger organization raised funds to put up billboards telling the public about the availability of 12 Step Recovery via their website, some 12 Step members were extremely upset. They believed that the billboards were a flagrant example of promotion, not attraction, and thus, were in conflict with 12 Step guiding principles.
As a 25-year marketing veteran, I’m here to tell you, our unhappy 12 Step friends were ill informed. The billboards were pure attraction, because they did one thing, and one thing only: they offered the awareness of a solution and pointed to a channel to access that solution. From there, all decisions were in the hands of the reader. But the upset 12 Step members were also not alone in their confusion.
Here’s the difference between attraction and promotion:
pro·mo·tion. prəˈmōSH(ə)n/ noun: activity that supports or provides active encouragement for the furtherance of a cause, venture, or aim. Example: You should to come to this event. I’ll remind you again and again until you sign up. at·trac·tion. əˈtrakSH(ə)n/ noun: the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something. Example: I really enjoyed this event and believe you might enjoy it too. If you are interested in joining me next time, here’s the info, and you can let me know.
Attraction leaves the opportunity for action in the hands of the audience, while promotion leads them into submission.
Stop the Sleaze!
There is a current deluge of coaches, consultants and businesses who are sending aggressive auto-responder campaigns and using targeted advertising (online ads that follow you) to wear down their prospects and leads.
It’s overwhelming, overpowering, and it’s NOT marketing. It’s sales. It’s promotion in the most invasive sense. I myself send auto-responder emails – but only to those who have signed up, and then it is full of what is intended to be useful information. There is always an offer to go further, but the choice is entirely up to them to ignore it or accept it. Marketing puts the leads in the driver’s seat, not the other way around.
When a lead comes in, it can be turned over to the sales team to explore further once someone has expressed interest, but it is vital for sales to understand this point. This person they are about to talk to has expressed an interest! It is also vital – especially for the exploding coaching market – to understand that having someone sign up for your database by offering them a free tool, then switching the conversation to your offerings is not what they signed up for. They did not express an interest in your coaching. They expressed an interest in your free tool. Don’t confuse the two, try to manipulate or control them. They will be in the position of either surrendering or deflecting. Both feel a little sleazy.
Of course, regardless, a lot of people do feel sleazy about marketing, and yes, there are some sleazy marketers out there. But it is the marketers who are sleazy, not the marketing itself. If the marketer’s intention is to manipulate, dupe and overpower the consumer that utterly despicable. Everything can be used or misused, based on our intention.
Marketing, in and of itself, is purely neutral.
If You (Just) Build It, They Ain’t Comin’
Some businesses’ response to their fear of appearing sleazy is to not market at all. Instead they work to create an idea, product or program so utterly amazing, it simply sells itself, without the attraction of marketing.
This past week I heard a number of business and non-profit leaders say – no less than 10 times – “If we build it, they will come!” They were absolutely certain their offering would attract all the right customers and participants by virtue of its inherent greatness. Some even sounded as if they felt marketing would tarnish their product if it were implemented.
Sometimes this viewpoint shows up subtly, when an organization – especially one with the tiniest budgets for marketing – is in the position of relying on social media for marketing. When that’s the case, it is extremely helpful for a core of vested, engaged stakeholders to help build awareness by liking, posting, sharing and commenting. This is both an affirmation of their support and the surest way to reach as many people as possible.
Yet many simply will not do it, even when asked directly. The same could be said of those 12 Step members, who keep their recovery a private solution. If you believe in your organization, your cause, your affiliation, your product, your business – why wouldn’t you also believe that others would want to know about it and benefit as well? Perhaps there is a nagging doubt that it isn’t al that great after all.
The Real Law of Attraction
The truth is that most people stop short of the mark.
True attraction is demonstrating the power of your affiliation, program, product or organization by living or using it with tremendous success. But that is only the first step. The next step is to recognize when someone else would benefit, and offer the hand of awareness, while leaving the decision entirely up to them whether to engage further. Occasionally this step is accelerated when someone notices your success and inquires, but that is not often the case.
You can absolutely offer someone your particular flavor of offering without them taking offense, unless you try to grab them by the collar and drag them kicking and screaming across the threshold. When you force someone into anything, you actually express a deeply held belief that they will never find what you are offering attractive enough by themselves, which suggests neither do you. That’s the Law of Attraction: Thoughts become things. You attract what you are.
When you either feel compelled to MAKE someone buy anything from you, or you are resistant to even letting them know of its existence, the same core belief is at play: No one really wants what I have to offer.
The most powerful marketing is born of a belief that everyone will benefit from what I have to offer, I only need to let them know it . That’s attraction. That’s great marketing.
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