I think by now everyone knows that my #1 money making secret is research. Nothings more powerful than asking a market what it wants and then just giving it to them, especially when you break that market up into groups of like-minded people with similar desires.
That’s #1.
Want to know what my #2 secret is?
Digging deep for something I passionately believe is right in a market DESPITE what everyone else is doing and saying, then being the voice of contrarian reason… standing up and shouting it from the roof tops.
It’s a habit I developed as a psychologist working with clinical patients. You see, when you’re in the room with a patient, it’s just you and them. And most psychological problems originate when people’s inner sense of what’s right was beaten out of them in one way, shape, or form.
So your patient would count on you to have the courage to point it out. To take a stand against the crowd. To be the only one truly on their side until they have the strength to believe in their own convictions.
What I discovered when working with suicidal people was that you had to get them to feel that at least one person in the world thoroughly understood what they were going through. Because that’s frequently all it took to give people the hope and courage to go on. As a side effect, it also happens to bond people to you for life. (Seriously, I haven’t formally practiced clinical psychology in 10 years but I still get people calling in every year, some driving 350 miles to come for a catch up session)
We all live on hope and courage, don’t we?
Now, of course, this isn’t a lesson on treating suicidal patients it’s a marketing blog (and if you happen to treat, coach, or love someone who is suicidal, please get direct, professional supervision and assistance)
But as I developed my marketing career I discovered this actually has EVERYTHING to do with marketing.
Here’s why.
We live in an insane world. People are cruel to one another wherever you look. Not purposefully cruel, but because (in the absence of a seriously self reflective and educated orientation) human nature is greedy, lustful, self centered, lazy, and aggressive, things just drift in that direction.
People’s natural inclination is to exploit one another, and nowhere is this more true than in business.
In every market businesses will take whatever they can from their consumers. And “marketing incest” coupled with a general lack of research usually ensures companies will copy from one another, leaving the consumer feeling like “this is normal”.
But it’s not.
In every market you’ll take the time to thoroughly research you’ll find there are always at least a few excruciatingly painful, unmet needs…
A consumer looking for a champion…
For someone to stand up against the crowd and say “the emperor has no clothes”, “this is wrong and I’m not going to take it anymore”, “why is no one talking about this”, etc.
Being the voice of contrarian reason looks like this in some of my markets:
- MARKETING: ”You can’t market based on FAQs alone. Frequently Asked Questions are also Frequently Answered Questions… they only represent “price of entry” benefits (what every vendor needs to even be considered in the running)… you’ve got to sell “point of difference” benefits to get people to open up their wallets, answering the problems and questions the competition isn’t! Why isn’t anyone talking about this?
- GUINEA PIGS: The standard pet food and bedding materials recommended for your guinea pigs are cutting his little life in half! Why am I the only one saying anything?
- RABBITS: You absolutely CAN litter train your rabbit and get it to live 8 years+. Rabbits are better pets than cats, and it’s about time someone said so!
- RADON: You CAN still get lung cancer from Radon UNDER your state’s reporting threshold. It’s an outrage! (Note: radon is an invisible, odorless, but radioactive and carcinogenic gas found in many locations)
- EMOTIONAL EATING: Stop dieting and start losing weight. Learn to enjoy eating the same delicious foods you love now without stress and without guilt.
- SUDOKU: You can solve EVERY sudoku puzzle, not just some, but every last one!
See what I mean?
Now, how do you get to this in your market?
Intriguingly, you first have to find the courage in yourself. What is it that YOU personally believe despite everything that everyone seems to say all around you?
Get out a journal and write until you figure that out.
Because it’s amazing how your eyes open up to your market once you’ve had the personal experience.
Personally I believe everyone struggles with anxiety and depression to one degree or another. While there certainly does exist a more severe set of diagnostic categories (for which medication, psychotherapy, etc. can help), the truth is we all like to categorize it as “mental illness” to protect ourselves from the truth.
And the truth is that in the world we live in, how could anyone really open their eyes and not feel at least a little anxious and depressed?
It’s normal and healthy to recognize this.
And in my estimation if you want to be a strong marketer, it’s essential.
Because staying out of touch with reality takes a lot of mental energy, and prevents you from seeing other people’s true pain, their true motivations, and their true needs.
And that’s what marketing is all about.
So… what do you think?
All my best,
Dr. G 
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Glenn, this is profound:
\"….What I discovered when working with suicidal people was that you had to get them to feel that at least one person in the world thoroughly understood what they were going through. Because that’s frequently all it took to give people the hope and courage to go on. As a side effect, it also happens to bond people to you for life. …\"
Thank you for that insight.
Wow Glenn,
That’s probably the best post I’ve read in ages! I think what you are really talking about here is positioning. Could there be anything more powerful than:
* Finding out EXACTLY what the people want …
* Revealing the CRITICAL truth that everyone else is ignoring …
and turning them into a positioning statement that automatically puts you heads and shoulders above the rest?
I’d like to learn more about what you think about positioning, and how to do it properly – if you’ve got the time.
Thanks – very insightful post.
Tim.
Wow Glenn,
That is probably the best post I have read in ages. I think what you are really talking about here is positioning. What could possibly be more powerful than:
* Finding out EXACTLY what people want …
* Revealing the CRITICAL truth that everyone else is ignoring and
turning them into a positioning statement that automatically puts you head and shoulders above the rest?
I would like to learn more about your views on positioning, and how to do it properly – if you’ve got the time.
Thanks – very insightful post.
Tim.
Hi Glen. I think your point about needing to write is important, because to stand out for what you believe in requires critical thinking – something we aren’t really taught how to do (I think we’re generally taught to look for short-cuts, not to really think about things critically – especially things regarded as ‘current knowledge’ in an industry).
Anyone who studies history will know that what is regarded as current knowledge seems to change an awful lot in virtually every field!
Just wondered what you thought about that, I thought the post was spot on though.
In terms of motivation, this post tops everything I have read in the last decade.
It rings true from every succesful venture I have thrown myself into, and yet I forget. With a bigger greed gland I might convince myself o slog through the mundane tasks that make up a the creation of another bland yet logical product. But alas, I am more lazy than greedy.
I need something to shout about and be proud of in order to motivate me, and I bet that’s a very common trait.
Thank you.
Every bit is truthful and at the same time painful. As an adguy, I find it terribly difficult to convince the corporate world of these marketing truths. A camel can enter the needle’s eye more easily than a brand manager a direct marketing world.
That was very insightful and I believe your post post ever! Everyone struggles with depression and anxiety at some point. Unless you are a robot! To differentiate yourself takes a lot of courage and a lot of research. But I believe that a company should make an impact in this world and that is the only way to do so. It has to make money too:) But there are far more important things than money.
As always… Great post Glenn. Thank you.
My thoughts: As a marketing consultant, I’m always surprised, and often totally shocked at just how lazy entrepreneurs really are. We think we’re all a bunch of highly driven over achievers, but the 80 out of the 100 are just looking for the easiest way to make a buck.
Perry and I have had several conversations about the difference between Arbitrage and Alchemy… When I put together a marketing plan for true alchemy, most marketers reject it because it’s just too much darn work to actually stand up and say something. But, in the end, it’s what allows longevity and the ability to stay off the rocks through the storms.
It also happens to be Bencivenga Bullet #1 –
“It is an expression of your most strongly held core values which serve as a clarion call to gather the like-minded faithful of your marketplace.
You’ll find that when you clearly stand for something, you will never stand alone. Indeed, standing for something special in your overcrowded marketplace sets you apart from armies of me-too competitors who try to be everything to everybody, and wind up meaning nothing special to anyone.
Using the Credo Technique is the surest way I know to attract and bond with your kindred spirits, your true believers, your most loyal comrades in arms, your best clients and friends, as I hope I have found in you.”
http://www.marketingbullets.com/bullet01.htm
Thanks, Glenn, for telling it like it is. Hope, courage, love, kindness are not luxuries – they are necessities.
Your message is right on. I’ve been listening to Bob Proctor’s CD series on achievement – he echoes Earl Nightengale’s definition of success: progressive realization of a worthy ideal.
People do need hope today. Just look at the headlines in any newspaper or on-line news website. Marketing offers a way to inspire and encourage for higher purposes. And, it takes guts to be public about helping others discover the truth.
I applaud you for being bold with this. And thanks for telling me through e-mail!
P.S. Would you please add a “Print This” button on your site, so I could print out winner posts like this one?
An MBA in marketing in a short essay. You are totally correct. Most people are too afraid to take a stand, to be different. And therefore never stand out. They become part of the crowd and wonder why no one can find them.
I honestly believe that the key to success is to become more self-aware of all we do and in particular what we run from.
Great post Glenn! Passion and candor are very sorely absent today. I heard someone say that “if you don’t take a stand for something, you will fall for everything.” It’s obvious that you are passionate about empowering and helping people and making a buck or two while you’re at it is excellent. The “guru’s” of internet marketing won’t tell you this stuff. Keep it up eh!
Blessings,
Chris.
Glenn,
Thanks for your wisdom. Profound, and true. (I always wondered how you could write with such passion about guinea pigs!
Over the few years, I’ve become more impatient than ever with “marketing shortcuts.” We’re now working with folks who want to be leaders, not just marketers.
Our process with clients begins with finding the place they can “take a stand.” That’s my passion — helping more people find their voice and and their unique “tribe.”
Keep up your great work, I appreciate you!
Keith
I really like the way you compare it to being a psychologist. I must say that I agree too, everything is an experiment, and you must find what is best!
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“Revealing the CRITICAL truth that everyone else is ignoring”
And while I am not actually preaching you to do it, but that strategy is so powerful that it can help you sell the same product again and again to the same group of people by using a different positioning (I mean, the case of putting old wine in a new bottle). I know a few gurus who do it all the time, successfully!
Many good points thank you. My personal site deals with self healing. It has always surprised me how many people struggle with issues and have never considered how their life would be if they released their ideas of self. Instead they go searching for a solution but the solution comes after you release the idea.