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

I was recently teaching marketing to a whole flock ofsay Yes, and if I don't, I say No.
spiritual healers at the University of Spiritual Healing andMarketing without the Jewel can feel manipulative, and
Sufism."attractive" words often feel sleazy if your heart isn't
Now, these folks aren't slouches. Some of them arepresent. But, your Jewel solo without the safety of a
extremely successful corporate consultants, highlysolid marketing message means that your customers
visible doctors used to addressing hundreds of peoplewill melt away.
at conferences, a nationally published spiritualConnect to your own unique Jewel. Then craft your
weight-loss expert with a 100,000 clients under her belt,marketing message to help your best prospects feel
and a variety of other practitioners, all of whom haveseen and safe, so they can trust the natural attraction
had a certain amount of success on their own.in their heart.
Yet, even these folks, many of them, when confrontedYour marketing? Keys to Safety Marketing:
with trying to fill their own workshops we assigned- The biggest thing that creates safety in any situation
them for homework, have been stumbling. "How dois when someone trusts that you know who they are.
you create marketing that can possibly explain spiritualIf you don't know them personally, the next best step
healing in a way that will attract people in?" It's a goodis to identify the Who and What of your target market:
question. But...Who: Demographic (observable characteristic) plus
The truth is: you can't. No description of what you doPsychographic (belief or internal identity)
can ever do it justice, and it certainly can't attractWhat: The problem
people in. But that's okay, because your marketingExample: Homeowners (demographic) who care about
language isn't there to attract people in. So forgetthe environment (psychographic) who want a beautiful
about trying to attract people with your words. I'll tellgarden that doesn't take a huge amount of water to
you what you will be doing with your words, in just akeep alive.
minute.A brand-new landscape designer who used a line very
First, understand that the main attractor of yoursimilar to this in a party left that evening with three
business isn't even directly visible, because it's thenew clients, effortlessly. Her Jewel was attractive- the
Jewel in your heart. I know it sounds woo-woo, butWho and What helped them feel safe enough to hire
haven't you had days in your business when you felther.
great, full, generous, and business flowed in seemingly- Answering unasked questions
out ofthe blue? And haven't you had days when youPut yourselves in the shoes of the prospect, and see
did everything "right" but you felt a little off, and nothingthings from their perspective. Then, list all the questions
seemed to work?that would come up for them about your own
That's your Jewel in action (or inaction). Your Jewel isbusiness. You may be surprised that issues that seem
the unique quality in your heart that makes you, andvery tangential to your product or service may be
your business, magnetically attractive.very important.
An example from one of my workshops: a participantFor instance, in an ad for a yoga studio, it never made
sunk into her Jewel through my guided exerciseclear what to wear to the first class. Do you think
"Unveiling Your Jewel." When she 'clunked' into it in hersomeone might not drop-in as a new yoga participant
heart (you know that feeling -clunk- when you are inbecause they don't want to look foolish in front of the
yourself deeply), and spoke from there, we all feltother Yogis and Yoginas? Answer as many of these
tears in our eyes. I looked around the room andquestions as possible in your marketing materials, to
everyone was on the edge of their seats listening, rapt,help people feel safe.
physically leaning towards her, and ready to buy and- Tell people what happens after they buy.
send her referrals.Asking people to buy, without telling them what will
And she hadn't spoken one word of "sales" pitch. Nice,happen next, is kind of like leading someone up to the
huh?door of a party where they don't know a soul, and
So what are the words for? The words are there toasking them to open the door and step inside. No way!
create safety. Here's the process: Someone feels theFirst, I want to know who is on the other side of the
truth and guidance in their heart to do something- takedoor, what kind of a party is it, is there food, is it formal
your workshop, buy your oatmeal, hire you for the job.or informal? Is it a birthday party and is a gift
What happens next?expected? Without these answers, most people,
That's right, they doubt themselves. When have youfeeling even slightly shy, won't open the door.
ever trusted your heart on a big decision right off theThese are just a few pointers, but put into action, along
bat? If you are like me, it's fairly rare. First I get a hitwith your connection to your Jewel, and you will have
"Yes, that's right." Then I think about it and doubta lot more people feeling safe enough to buy from
myself, "Maybe I'm not right." Then I come to ayou.
decision. If I feel safe enough to trust my guidance, I