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Why Marketing Often Feels Sleazy (and How to Avoid It)

By: Mark Silver

I was recently teaching marketing to a whole flock of spiritual healers at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism.

Now, these folks aren't slouches. Some of them are extremely successful corporate consultants, highly visible doctors used to addressing hundreds of people at conferences, a nationally published spiritual weight-loss expert with a 100,000 clients under her belt, and a variety of other practitioners, all of whom have had a certain amount of success on their own.

Yet, even these folks, many of them, when confronted with trying to fill their own workshops we assigned them for homework, have been stumbling. "How do you create marketing that can possibly explain spiritual healing in a way that will attract people in?" It's a good question. But...

The truth is: you can't. No description of what you do can ever do it justice, and it certainly can't attract people in. But that's okay, because your marketing language isn't there to attract people in. So forget about trying to attract people with your words. I'll tell you what you will be doing with your words, in just a minute.

First, understand that the main attractor of your business isn't even directly visible, because it's the Jewel in your heart. I know it sounds woo-woo, but haven't you had days in your business when you felt great, full, generous, and business flowed in seemingly out ofthe blue? And haven't you had days when you did everything "right" but you felt a little off, and nothing seemed to work?

That's your Jewel in action (or inaction). Your Jewel is the unique quality in your heart that makes you, and your business, magnetically attractive.

An example from one of my workshops: a participant sunk into her Jewel through my guided exercise "Unveiling Your Jewel." When she 'clunked' into it in her heart (you know that feeling -clunk- when you are in yourself deeply), and spoke from there, we all felt tears in our eyes. I looked around the room and everyone was on the edge of their seats listening, rapt, physically leaning towards her, and ready to buy and send her referrals.

And she hadn't spoken one word of "sales" pitch. Nice, huh?

So what are the words for? The words are there to create safety. Here's the process: Someone feels the truth and guidance in their heart to do something- take your workshop, buy your oatmeal, hire you for the job. What happens next?

That's right, they doubt themselves. When have you ever trusted your heart on a big decision right off the bat? If you are like me, it's fairly rare. First I get a hit "Yes, that's right." Then I think about it and doubt myself, "Maybe I'm not right." Then I come to a decision. If I feel safe enough to trust my guidance, I say Yes, and if I don't, I say No.

Marketing without the Jewel can feel manipulative, and "attractive" words often feel sleazy if your heart isn't present. But, your Jewel solo without the safety of a solid marketing message means that your customers will melt away.

Connect to your own unique Jewel. Then craft your marketing message to help your best prospects feel seen and safe, so they can trust the natural attraction in their heart.

Your marketing? Keys to Safety Marketing:

• The biggest thing that creates safety in any situation is when someone trusts that you know who they are. If you don't know them personally, the next best step is to identify the Who and What of your target market:
Who: Demographic (observable characteristic) plus
Psychographic (belief or internal identity)
What: The problem

Example: Homeowners (demographic) who care about the environment (psychographic) who want a beautiful garden that doesn't take a huge amount of water to keep alive.

A brand-new landscape designer who used a line very similar to this in a party left that evening with three new clients, effortlessly. Her Jewel was attractive- the Who and What helped them feel safe enough to hire her.

• Answering unasked questions
Put yourselves in the shoes of the prospect, and see things from their perspective. Then, list all the questions that would come up for them about your own business. You may be surprised that issues that seem very tangential to your product or service may be very important.

For instance, in an ad for a yoga studio, it never made clear what to wear to the first class. Do you think someone might not drop-in as a new yoga participant because they don't want to look foolish in front of the other Yogis and Yoginas? Answer as many of these questions as possible in your marketing materials, to help people feel safe.

• Tell people what happens after they buy.
Asking people to buy, without telling them what will happen next, is kind of like leading someone up to the door of a party where they don't know a soul, and asking them to open the door and step inside. No way! First, I want to know who is on the other side of the door, what kind of a party is it, is there food, is it formal or informal? Is it a birthday party and is a gift expected? Without these answers, most people, feeling even slightly shy, won't open the door.

These are just a few pointers, but put into action, along with your connection to your Jewel, and you will have a lot more people feeling safe enough to buy from you.

Article Source: http://www.articlekingpro.com

Mark Silver, founder of Heart of Business, is 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. Get three free chapters of the book online: www.heartofbusiness.com

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