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The Healing Power of Marketing
by Mark Silver
Published on this site: April 18th, 2006 - See
more articles from this month
I was waiting for the tapioca pudding. In the same way many
of us wait for customers.
We were having a great conversation with some friends over
dinner, but I have to admit, I was a little distracted, thinking
about the tapioca pudding we were going to be having for dessert.
If this happens among friends, imagine what your customers
are thinking about while they are reading your marketing.
And, it might be a whole lot more distracting than tapioca
pudding.
One of our friends had been a filmmaker for years, and had
worked in marketing with the major Hollywood studios as well.
And then gave it up to become a very successful naturopathic
doctor specializing in helping people who have cancer.
He told us, "But I'm doing the same thing. Telling stories,
and listening to stories. Because I've become clear that's
where the real healing comes from."
He explained how he had been telling stories through film
for a long time, but never got to interact with the people
watching the film. Now he sees patients every day, and listens
to their stories. "It's incredible to watch how much
healing and relief comes in when people get to tell their
stories."
I asked him: "Does it matter whether someone is
telling their own story, or can you tell their story to them,
and get the same effect?"
His answer: "It doesn't seem to matter. As long the story
gets told, and the person recognizes it as their own, the
healing takes place."
That rang true for me. I've watched movies, and seen echoes
of my own life in them, and felt a real relief and spaciousness
open in me. I've also heard from clients who have expressed
tremendous gratitude just at having their stories validated-
"You mean, I'm not the only one in this situation?"
This has profound implications for your marketing. Your marketing
doesn't have to be merely a prelude-- your marketing can deliver
the tapioca of your business, and stimulate tremendous healing
for people.
Tell your customers' stories in your marketing. It may only
be a few sentences. It may be longer and more dramatic. But
capture the essence of the difficulty they are facing, and
their emotions, needs and desires. And, in the telling, they
can experience profound relief and gratitude.
When someone feels profound relief and gratitude, they feel
safe. Not only do they feel happier and more whole, but they
tend to stick around longer.
Keys to the Healing Power of Marketing
- You have to know who you are talking to.
You've probably heard me beat this drum before, but
how can you tell someone's story if you don't know who they
are? And, one of the most elemental pieces of their story
is their name. In a marketing context when you don't know
the customer personally (yet), their name is your target
market. Who you are helping, and What you are helping them
with.
- You need to see things from their perspective.
When I was a paramedic, it was all too easy to talk
about someone's problems from a clinical perspective, and
I see business owners do that all the time as well. In order
to effectively create connection and healing, you need to
drop the impersonal 'professionalism' of clinical talk,
and climb into their shoes and feel their pain. Then you can show real
empathy.
- Take it a step further.
Many times, just naming them and their pain can create
a huge amount of relief. But, take it a step further, and
you'll be that much closer to creating a real, long-term
customer relationship. Give them a solution.
The Heart of Business example: [Identity] For people
who got into small business because they really want to make
a difference, [Problem] but are now facing the reality of
needing to make a profit. [Solution] You can be profitable,
without losing the heart of why you got into business in the
first place.
Ahhhh.... big sigh of relief. You can expand this into an
entire story, with many more details, according to the context.
And, once they connect- don't forget to offer them the tapioca
pudding. They just might buy it from you.
Bon appetit,
Mark Silver
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, by integrating 1500 years of spiritual wisdom with
down-to-earth business practices. Get three free chapters
of the book online: http://www.heartofbusiness.com
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