Don’t Let Your Weakness Fuel their Marketing

I was born the son of a poor sharecropper.

I was once just like you. I went to the ATM and couldn’t take out money because I only had $12 in my bank account. 

I was unemployed for 18 months. I was down to my last, couldn’t feed my family, had no income.

Everyone loves money. Money makes the world go ’round. And anyone who tells you money is evil, clearly doesn’t understand that you need it to survive. You owe it to yourself to survive.

And it’s usually after one of these heart tugging statements that the person on the pitching end of it will say let me show you how I made my millions/became a star/climbed out of debt/*insert testimony here*.

I was listening to a sermon Sunday morning and the pastor said “there are people out there that will deliberately market to your pain to get you to spend money, even if it’s your last”. It’s true. Some might call it smart marketing or great business, and it is for some businesses when done responsibly. But I feel like there’s something sleazy about trying to force or guilt people to spend money they don’t have. I’ve seen people ask their victims..I mean “clients” if they could borrow the money or tell them that they would find money for things that really matter if they had to. Then they start rationalizing how to cut a latte habit or shoe shopping if they were really serious about success. While I agree that we could all stand to cut down on indulgences and redirect that money into investing in ourselves, for some people, it’s not about cutting out indulgences. They truly cannot afford to spend any money. So why try to sell them a dream? But that’s a different conversation.

On the other side of the spectrum of what the pastor spoke to, there are people out there that will pump your head with the notion that you need to be a ball player, rap or rock star or reality TV “star” in order to be someone. They market this concept to you showing you how crappy your life is, and convince you that you too deserve the riches theses celebrities and athletes have achieved. Drug dealers also have the same push message, only their product has a much deadlier consequences. So what does all of this have to do with the price of tea in China or you as an individual? Plenty.

As a society, we’re always looking at two things: the quick fix for fast money, or the glitz and glamour of the end result, not the work it takes to get there. And marketers bet on that blind ignorance. We take notice of the small startup that gets bought out by the Googles or Microsofts of the world for millions of dollars, but we don’t pay attention to the back story of what it took to get to that point. We don’t want to know about all the hard work that was put into developing said product or talk about the intelligence or skill it took to make a product that was worthy of such an acquisition. We look at the baller who signs the multi-million dollar endorsements and the luxurious lifestyle he (and his wife, family, jump offs, etc) lives, but we don’t delve into the backstory of how he started in a little local pop warner league, faced multiple injuries and physical therapy through the years to get him into excellent shape or the years of training and sometimes failing just so he could earn his way to a place in the league. We don’t look at the real experts and business owners who bootstrapped, networked, worked hard and sacrificed to get their business to the multi million dollar mark; you know, their 10 year over night success story. We are trained to resonate with the glamour, not the hard work. That’s OK though. It’s what makes it easy for you to get advantage of.

This sad economy has left a whole lot of people vulnerable to the okie doke. Notice how while most people are struggling, silver tongued marketers seem to have bank accounts bursting at the seems? That’s because they are hella smooth with their words. They market to your pain to get you to make emotional decisions to part with your money on a gamble that maybe their one size fits all programs, books, miracle pill, magic bullet, whatever, will help you be as successful as they are. And you fall for it because really, what other choice do you have. You need a solution and you need it now. You can’t afford to wait and do it the right way. After all, how bad can they be because they have pages of testimonials, right? OK, if you say so.

It’s my job to educate you. Sometimes it’s a bit harsh, but that’s who I am. Straight with no chaser. I would rather you come to me ready to work, than to expect me fix your problem. I never, ever claim to fix anything for anyone. That would be fraud. I educate you and give you the tools, strategies and confidence to make the changes you want to see for yourself, your business or career.  Can some of what I do be shared in a book and work for most people? Absolutely. I’ve written books and created courses and will continue to do so. But not everything is for everyone. I don’t believe in selling a bunch of bullshit and progressively higher priced bullshit just to keep you lining my bank account.

Some people want to disrespect or down consultants. I believe that’s because there are a lot of fraudulent consultants out there who just want to keep clients reliant on them. I don’t believe in that. Much like with your child, you have to groom your clients to eventually work without you. It’s kind of like slowly taking those training wheels off or preparing your kid to move away from home for the first time. I want to know that I’ve instilled all the knowledge and skills that I could so you will make the right decisions when I’m not around.

I caution you to beware of the quick fix. No one thing, person or product is going to instantly solve all of your problems. Until you take a sobering and honest look at your situation, make a commitment to working hard to fix it, and not hold other people responsible for your success or happiness, you will not find your solution in a box, a call or pill. Do your due diligence. Check people out, ask for references (real references, not gushing testimonials) that tell you exactly what resulted from working with this person. Stop expecting that you too will be a millionaire because chances are, you’re not!  Focus on using your brain. That is the most powerful muscle in your body (next to the tongue). Get your mind right and condition yourself to do the work, not find a quick fix. Otherwise you’ll constantly be taken in by people who market to your weakness.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Straight, with no chaser…always

 

Check out my new book Get Recruited: Secrets from a Top Recruiter on Using Unconventional Tactics to Get Noticed in an Inconvenient Economy in paperback or on Kindle! While you’re at it, pre-order your copy of No, You Can’t Pick My Brain, due out January 31, 2012.

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Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.

 

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